He's Not That Bad
by shir0ch4n
Summary: Part of my what if AU where Volga was never possessed by Cia. It's an A-Z fic pretty much describing him in this verse, each story can be it's own stand alone one shot within the AU.
1. Chapter A

Chapter 1: Allergies

* * *

 _Do it for the tribe, just power through this, you've got this,_ the dragon knight groused to himself as he felt another sneeze coming on.

After reclaiming his home from the dark witch's forces Volga had agreed to assist the Hylians in reclaiming theirs from her as well. But first they had to find the missing princess and were now following a lead on her whereabouts.

Which unfortunately lead them through Faron Woods.

In the spring.

With all the blooming flowers.

 _You're doing this for the tribe d-don don-_ , "aah aah ACHOOO!" _Oh how wonderful a little fire snot came out with that one,_ Volga griped as he hurriedly put out the small flame, annoyed by his body's constant mutiny.

"Are you all right," Impa asked, "that's the tenth time you sneezed since we've entered the forest and they seem to be getting progressively violent."

"I'm fine," Volga bit out.

"If you say so." Obviously the Dragon Knight was not _fine_ but Impa decided to keep that to herself.

 _No need to kick a man when he's down already._

The signs were clear as day, though; the stuffy nose (that's starting to drip courtesy of the previous sneeze), the rattle in his breath as he breathes through his mouth, and even though she can't see them she's sure that his eyes are as red as his armor and watery too. Combined with the fact that he can't even walk straight without bumping into a tree or two.

The General decided to have pity on the dragon and called out for camp, it was going to be dark soon so why not.

* * *

A/N: Awkward. Anyway this is the _wonderful_ start of an A-Z series about my AU version of Volga where he didn't get possessed by Cia. I'm going to try to stay as close to in-character from the scant few moments he wasn't possessed in the game and kind of just go off on that with a couple of head cannons I've got. The story isn't going to be in chronological order but they are related to each other. Anyway I hope you've enjoyed this first chapter and don't forget to review please.

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 _Up next: A sweet delight_


	2. Chapter B

Chapter 2: Baklavas

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Night was falling upon the kingdom of Hyrule and most of her denizens were fast asleep in their beds. Only a few were up at this moment, one of which was the Royal Cook, Daniel.

Daniel had decided to prepare a most delicious treat for the Princess for breakfast the next day, Baklavas.

The foreign treat hailed from the Gerudo Desert and was a bit time consuming to make, the cool down period to be exact. Hence the nightly preparation.

But the delicacy well worth the effort.

Thin sheets of pastry bread, filled with layers upon layers of chocolate and crushed nuts. All held together with a gratuitous helping of a honey-rosewater mixture, drizzled all over it, and topped with more crushed nuts.

Daniel's mouth was watering at the mere thought of these pastries and quickly got to work making them.

Two hours later and the sweet smelling baklavas were ready to cool down overnight. The cook finally gave in to the need for rest and retired to the servants quarters to sleep.

o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o

It was nearing dawn when another of Hyrule's inhabitants woke up. This inhabitant, however, wasn't a native and was only visiting for a short time to attend a couple of meetings regarding the tentative peace treaty between Hyrule and the Reptilian Clan of Eldin.

Not sure as to what had awoken him, he sat up from his pile of blankets and pillows and sniffed the air carefully. Sure enough Volga had soon found the _why_ , a sweet smell had pervaded the castle and the room he is currently occupying. Curious as to the _what,_ still, he hastily made himself presentable, no need for anyone to start talking ill about him for appearances of all things, and followed the scent to the source.

The sweet trail led him to the vast kitchen and finally to a mid-high countertop with a single tray on it.

And on that tray were a couple of triangular shaped… _things_.

Volga wasn't too sure what it was he was holding but he knew it was what had awoken him, a quick sniff confirmed it.

 _It's very flakey and a bit sticky_ , pondered the dragon knight as he raised a sticky digit to his mouth to taste…whatever it was.

Hazy green eyes widened at the sensation that assaulted his taste buds.

 _Oh? OH! This is good, this is_ _ **really**_ _good!_ He thought happily as he proceeded to shove the entire thing into his mouth, moaning in pleasure at the bittersweet taste.

 _Hmm, they wouldn't mind_ one _more missing would they?_

o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o

The morning brought about a rather rude awakening for the members of the castle as a high pitched screech issued from the kitchen.

The kitchen aides quickly burst through the doors to see what had made their fearless leader produce such a sound only to find a sobbing chef, an empty tray, and scattered crumbs.

Elsewhere in the castle a content dragon continues to slumber. Unaware of the grief he had caused to a poor chef.

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A/N: Yup, Volga's got sweet tooth like nobody's business. I figured as someone who lives in cave and probably doesn't even need to cook the food he eats he would immensely enjoy the rare treat of sweets and cakes. Also he sleeps on the floor cause you know…he's a dragon, he just essentially made himself a pillow fort on the ground.

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 _Up next: Moblin meat has to go somewhere_


	3. Chapter C

Chapter 3: Carnivorous

* * *

"HYAAA!" And with one final swing the last moblin dissipated into a cloud of purple swirls. Link looked at the meat flank that had fallen and wondered why only some monsters left things behind when they disappeared. Currently they have collected 96 monster teeth and 50 pieces of moblin meat.

"This is what now, 51 pieces we have now of this stinky meat?" Proxi flew around it agitatedly. "What are we gonna do with all of them? They don't even spoil, or rot, or anything! We can't even get rid of them they just keep coming _back_! At least the teeth can be made into potions!"

The silent hero pondered over this slight dilemma when out the corner of his eye he saw an imposing figure approach them.

"Are you going to eat that?" Volga asked.

"What!?" The fairy exclaimed as she turned a bright shade of red.

"Well my troops and I haven't exactly eaten in a while and moblin meat is hard to come by. So, again are you going to eat that?"

"But why do you want _moblin meat_ of all things?" Proxi knew that their new allies were strange but this was a whole other level of weird.

"It's a rare delicacy and I've heard that it has a peculiar taste. We just want to see what it taste like mostly. And what's it to you, I heard that you have no way of getting rid of this stuff so why not let us eat it?"

He had a point and Proxi knew it, but still it was monster meat who knows what it could do if ingested.

Before the fairy even had a chance to think of something to say back, Link had already bent over and picked up the flank. He handed it over along with the rest of the meat that had been stored in his enchanted pouch.

"Thank you," the dragon stated callously as he walked back to where his troops were camped at, a little away from the Hylians. He dropped the relatively small pile of meat in the center of the group.

Proxi and Link watched in mild horror as they tore into the meat violently, some not even chewing and just swallowing the ripped pieces whole. They devoured the pile piece after piece until there was nothing left but a small patch of blood and saliva.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing they're on our side. Right, Link?"

The green garbed hero nodded frantically as he continued to watch their scaly, plus one armored, comrades discuss amongst themselves about the apparent taste of the meat they've just demolished.

"At least the meat's all gone now."

* * *

A/N: They're still animals technically and so will eat as animals. I based the reptilian clan behavior off of Komodo Dragons, who eat like that actually. Although, they tend to eat their prey whole most of the time. Anyway, this is actually based off an inside joke my brother and I would say whenever we get meat in the game since I always played as Volga when we go 2players lol.

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 _Up next: A lucky break_


	4. Chapter D

Chapter 4: Dumbstruck

* * *

Faron Woods was on fire.

No really, that damn possessed ring set the Deku Tree on fire and if something isn't done soon the blaze will spread.

Unhindered by the smoke and embers it was decided that Volga and his troops would help control the blaze.

As Volga made his way to the sacred tree he passed by a nearby keep. Judging by the commotion it seems there was only one troop left to defend it.

The Knight knew that the chances of that single troop surviving was pathetically low, but at the same time knew that there were more pressing matters at hand. He continued on to the Tree.

Besides no war was without its casualties.

oOoOoOoOoOo

One stressful search later the blaze was finally put out. Having been of a magical origin, once they found the Great Fairy it was put out promptly by a magical rainstorm.

Seeing how they had a small breather before the enemy army recollected themselves the Dragon Knight decided to check on the keep he had passed.

Expecting the place to have been overrun, the dragon was caught off guard by what he found.

Volga could not recall a time where he was _ever_ left speechless but finding that lone troop still standing and the keep free of monsters, he really had no idea of _what_ to say.

"You should close your mouth there's still ash falling around here."

* * *

A/N: This chapter was based on an actual thing that had happened when I was playing this stage. I thought for sure the keep was going to fall but man did that one troop hold out. So I decided to dedicate this chapter to him and make him his own character. So keep a look out for this character (whose name will be reveled in a later chapter) he's going to be interacting with Volga a bit more. After all he made quite the impression.

 **edit** : changed a small part I remembered wrong

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 _Up next: Home_


	5. Chapter E

_Thank you_ _321Technonote123 and FwooshEye for following_

 _Also happy Eclipse Day! Now onward to the chapter_

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Chapter 5: Eldin

* * *

Everyone knows that the mountainous range of Eldin is home to the Gorons, but if one ventures a bit further they'll find the heart of Eldin. The home of the cold blooded Reptilian Clan. There resides the fabled Dragon Knight, where few have encountered him and even less have return to tell the tale.

The only one powerful enough to defeat the defender of the mines was the Dark Witch, Cia. Her forces overpowered him and his armies and overtook the caves for many weeks. It wasn't until recently that the Gorons returned with the promised reinforcements and helped them reclaim their home.

Two imposing figures stood side by side on an alcove overlooking the flurry of activity below.  
"She isn't here," Impa remarked.  
"Perhaps the princess is in the forest," Volga added.  
"Maybe, I heard a rumor about a young woman helping out in the forest."  
"Then you no longer need my services."  
Volga was about to head down and help the rebuilding process until a calloused hand stopped his descent.  
"Oh no. You're coming with us, you owe us."  
"How dare yo-"  
"We helped you retake your home! The least you can do is help us!"

Blood red met dull green in a battle of will that neither were going to back down from. It was quite impressive watching the significantly shorter woman stare the bulkier dragon down. The match went on for a long moment until-  
"Fine. We leave in a week." Volga replied reluctantly.  
"Three days," Impa countered.  
"One week. I need time to find and train someone to take my place as I go and fight some asinine war I'm being coerced into again." The dragon's tone brokered no argument as it was filled with contempt and annoyance.

"And these," the general fiddled with a blue stone amulet that hung loosely about her neck, "will last that long?"  
"Yes and stop touching it. What is it with humans and touching everything?" Volga groused as he lightly smacked Impa's hand away from the amulet.  
"You're human too, smart guy," Impa exclaimed to his retreating back. Her statement received nothing more than a one fingered salute in reply.  
"Oh real mature!"

* * *

A/N: I'm so sorry for the late update, life and writer's block got the best of me for this chapter. I ended rewriting it but the idea is still the same.

Volga's getting sick and tired of being forced to join a fight he never wanted to be a part of. He did strike me as a bit rude in the game when fighting as/against him, so I made him a sass master in the au. Btw this chapter leads back to ch1.

BTW Reviews feed me so don't let me starve

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 _Up next: A friend?_


	6. Chapter F

_Shoutout to my followers: 321Technonote123 and Fwoosheye_

 _Dork: Thank you so much! I'm happy that you're reading this and enjoying it. And yeah the guy really needs some attention the lack of everything for him is unacceptable. Funny you should mention Dragon-Human transformation._

 _guest: *in Beedle's voice* I APPRECIATE YOU!_

 _A/N: This continues right after Chapter 4_

* * *

Chapter 6: Fumble

* * *

Right after that statement left his mouth the soldier thought two things: one, that the (quite scary) man in front of him wasn't a Hylian. And two, this guy just might kill him for such a cheeky comment.

 _ShitshitshitshitSHIT_! The soldier thought frantically as the taller man made his way towards him. "Oh, umm, I-i-i mean, uhh," the poor man stammered as the dragon finally reached him.

"What's your name," Volga stated blankly, no hint of the baffled expression from before.

"Huh?"

"Unless your name is, _Huh_ , you have five seconds to tell me your name," Noticing the absolute terror in the soldier's demeanor he added, "please."

"Uhh, V-vincent"

"Well, Vincent, excellent job maintaining this keep. I hope you survive long enough to meet again as you actually seem competent at your job.

"Now, there's a demonic ring in this forest with my name on it and I _will_ find it. Farewell." With that the Dragon Knight flew off in search of his quarry.

Vincent stared at the retreating form of the dragon for all of three seconds before collapsing on his behind. Absolutely shaken by the encounter the soldier decided to not tell Volga the next time they met that his "skill" was nothing more than a combination of blind luck and clumsiness.

* * *

A/N: Haha poor Vincent. Speaking of, say hello to Vincent! The OC I mentioned on chapter 4! Told you he'd get a proper introduction later. Sorry for the lack of Volga character development this chap, I kinda just wanted to introduce this character. My beta suggested "fumble" for this chap and I couldn't help myself :P. I hope you enjoyed nonetheless

Anyhoo, I should mention that the semester started for me and although I only have one class I'll still be a bit busy so updates will be a little later than usual (still Monday though). If I miss an update it should be because I need to do an essay for class and school comes first.

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 _Up next: Our rocky friends_


	7. Chapter G

Chapter 7: Gorons

* * *

After the whole commotion of separate dimensions and saving them from Cia and her lackeys, the growing army decided to take a small break and mingle with the newcomers. Get a good feel for one another and learn more about their new allies. One such member was quietly observing the two different, yet similar, tribes of Gorons. They were both so very laid-back and happy-go-lucky that one might even think that they were from the same dimension. Except one group wears armor and the other doesn't.

However, what really separates them is their acceptance, or lack of, for the so called monsters of the caves.

Volga observed as once again a goron from the Time Era flinched at a dinolfos' loud chattering laugh at a stupid rock pun one of their own gorons had made. Quite frankly he was starting to get annoyed by this reaction but if he was being truthful he'd probably say he was actually a little hurt by it. It had taken so long for this dimension's Goron tribe and his tribe to get along to the point where they were able to see past their differences and cohabit peacefully in the caves. The dragon had heard tales of how terrible it was before he hatched, but had never witnessed or been subjected to the distrustful atmosphere of before. Even when he tried to steal the Megaton Hammer when he was young.

But now with the other Gorons he can actually feel the tension between them and his army, himself included. He can feel the awkward stares and hear the low whispered gossip about them. He knows that none of them really trust him or his army. That where ever they are, they're only seen as monsters and things that are prone to attack unprovoked. Sure, the Hylians felt the same way, but Volga didn't grow up and live with hylians. At least the Hylian army had already gone past the phase of hostility.

As the Dragon Knight brooded over this he was slightly startled (re: jumped out of his skin) when a large stony hand suddenly landed on his shoulder. Turning around expecting it to be the Goron chief of his dimension he was surprised when it turned out to be the other Goron chief. Having last heard that Darunia was with Darius he was wondering what brought the legendary chief to him of all people.

"Whoops didn't mean to scare ya kid." Darunia gave one of his lopsided grin that made him look more like a tavern patron than a respectable chief.

"You didn't scare me and I'm not a child." Was Volga's quick response. A slight tinge appearing for being caught off guard but only visible if one was really looking.

"What do you want?" Volga questioned.

"Hey now no need to be rude can't a guy just talk with somebody without needing anything?" Darunia accented this with a hearty slap on the back. "Huh, usually people fall or stumble when I do that. Nice."

"What was it you wished to speak to me about?"

"Hmm. Oh, right. Err, nothing really just wanted to chat with you that's all. I've already spoke to everyone else."

Not sensing any hostility from the chipper chief, Volga decided that maybe they're not all bad. Besides, Darunia was friendly to all. Perhaps they can bridge the gap.

"Sure why not."

* * *

A/N: Yeah it would suck if the super friendly people you grew up with suddenly turned into a bunch of jacks. Arg! I ended up rewriting this chapter too! However, I did make a reference to the original chapter which shall now be it's own story. Perhaps a two/three shot.

Anyway, I've changed my update days to Tuesdays since I don't have school on this day. Reviews are always welcome.

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 _Up Next: A fusion?_


	8. Chapter H

Chapter 8: Hybrid

* * *

Being a halfbreed meant that Volga was comfortable in whichever form he decided to take. Whether that be a freakishly tall human or freakishly huge dragon, he didn't mind. That being said the dragon-man has been known to cause mischief by picking and choosing parts of both to mess with others.

His current favorite victims are a general knight and his two lackeys. He never bothered to learn their names so he just refers to them as General Sir Prat and Clods 1&2\. Those imbeciles had it in them to give Volga and his army hell for… well the reason was never given, probably just existing was enough of a reason for them.

The true breaking point was when they decided to focus their aggression on poor Vincent. The man was being tormented just for being actively friendly with him and his army. Well the dragon had enough of this and decided to put his mischief to work.

It started off small and unnoticeable. A stumble here and there courtesy of his tail. Not that he admitted of course he's a proud warrior not a child. A claw reaching out and "accidentally" snagging on a chink of armor. _Honestly it was an accident_. Gusts of wind just _happen_ to occur near loose dirt, and no he didn't aim it at them of course not. _How could he?_

The trio started getting paranoid as time went on, and that's when the real fun started. Staying up late into the hours of twilight waiting for one of them to awaken to the "call of nature." He would then shift only his head into the draconic form and bask in the shriek and the stench that followed. It was worth it when the entire camp awoke and found out what had happened, but not _why_ it happened. After all he was a notoriously heavy sleeper, why would he be awake at such hours? Obviously the man was seeing things.

As more time went on the trio had finally reached the level of paranoia to get sent home. Obviously the war was too much for them if they thought they saw shadows where there were none. Volga, feeling quite pleased with himself, was pleasantly surprised when Impa whispered to him,

"Good job."

* * *

A/N: Hehehe, they deserved it. Even though I created them to be assholes. Still no one's mean to Vincent and gets away with it! And yes Volga enjoys doing shit like that, he's got a warped sense of humor. He also slapped them with a human arm in dragon form to mess them up even more.

The hybrid thing is my AU reasoning for the human-dragon tranformation. I headcannon him being a half human and dragon which would explain why he's able to so swiftly change between each and summon only parts of them with ease. Of course there's magic and whatnot _but let me dream dammit!_

As always reviews are welcome!

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 _Up Next: Trouble in Skyloft!_


	9. Chapter I

_Thank you SwordspiritFi9 for the follow_

* * *

Chapter 9: Imposter

* * *

Ever since they left the caves the Dragon Knight had heard of this so called doppelgänger of his. A being that looked exactly like him only in monochromatic values as opposed to his flame themed hues. Apparently the witch conjured it (because he will not refer to that thing as a living creature) when she realized that she will not be acquiring a general anytime soon.

He had never personally encountered it.

That is, until now.

Volga grunted in pain as a slash of wind hit his left arm. Not wasting any time he shot a fireball at the conjuration and clipped its side. The thing was distracted by the searing pain which gave him the opening he was waiting for. Quickly tackling it to the ground he pinned it down and waited for the cavalry to arrive. In this case, a giant sky whale.

* * *

Hours earlier when they passed through the portal leading to this dimension, the bulky Knight was immediately assailed by the Skyloftian Army. It turns out that the witch had tricked the knights and turned on them at the first sight of a new ally in a demonic sword spirit. She left her draconic summon behind to keep the spirit in check and to maintain the dimension under her power. It took a lot of talking to convince the sky knights that they were here to help and were not affiliated with the witch. They agreed but only because they were severely outmatched.

A couple hours in and a different sword spirit called out to the green clad hero. This time the sword spirit was a beneficial ally and helped appease a sky deity into helping the war efforts. The combined armies were able to beat back the interlopers with great speed.

That's when the imposter stepped in.

It came in blazing like the fire it was suppose to imitate and struck down many troops. Volga had stepped in and battled with the entity. The original was pushing it back successfully, until it drew power from the dark magic it was created from. Soon the Dragon Knight was the one being pushed back, and fast. Fi, the sword spirit that Link had rescued, suggested to inquire aid from the Great Fairy. The plan was to help Leviathan gain full strength and weaken the apparition.

Bringing us back to the current situation.

* * *

Already exhausted from the previous battle Volga can feel his hold loosening. The specter was still full of energy and fought back with all its might, aiming for areas that it knew it had wounded before. It managed to strike a particularly painful wound and kicked the hybrid off itself.

Standing once more it turned towards the downed dragon intending to finish him off. Only to be startled by Volga softly chuckling. Seconds later it felt jolts of heavenly electricity coursing through its artificial veins, bringing it to its knees. The power it once fell back on was eliminated and it was barely able to continue existing. Although greatly weakened by the attack it still had enough strength to continue its previous action. Standing once more it began to move again. Only to feel something pierce its chest. Gazing down at the blade it only had a moment to realize what had happened before it exploded in a cloud of purple-black smoke.

From his supine position Volga was grateful that Link had decided to ignore him earlier and had come back to help. Of course he's going to deny he needed it but he was still going to give credit where it was due. The hero offered an arm to help the dragon up, a slight smirk planted on his face. Sensing the small amount of smugness, Volga nearly put more weight into the lift than necessary. It wouldn't have been a lot, just enough to make him stumble a bit. But honestly he was in too much pain to care right now. That stupid summon hit him really hard on the fresh stab wound in his side.

"Are you going to be alright," Proxi asked. The fairy had turned to an alarmed yellow color, as she flitted around the now sitting Knight.

"I will be," Volga responded. "That thing was stronger than I thought."

"Yeah, it took a while to defeat it last time too. But...," the fairy trailed off.

"But?"

After a moment's hesitation she answered, "I think it was stronger than the last time we saw it."

Volga contemplated this new piece of information. If it was stronger this time around, then…

"Whatever, we still have a mission to complete," he responded as he stood, "There is still the matter of an evil sword spirit on the loose. We need to get to it."

Hiding the wince as he began to walk in the direction he knew the demonic spirit to be, the dragon wondered just how far Cia would go in making her little creation stronger? And would they actually be able to defeat it next time if it does get upgraded somehow? Shaking those thoughts away he decided that, that is a query for later. Right now he's got a few words to give to a certain sword spirit.

* * *

A/N: I had realized a glaring plot hole in my AU and have supplied a solution. Dark Volga is a thing in the game I just made it so it's a creation of Cia.

So I had Volga follow Link not just for the narrative but because it still makes logical sense. Impa and Zelda (then Sheik) were one group consisting of a general and an unknown being scrutinized by said general. Lana can take care of herself being a sorceress (she's also the time guardian but they didn't know that at the time ). But Link and a bunch of troops. They kinda need a general to watch out for them and hey look a handy general is just laying around.

* * *

 _Up Next:TBA (I have a major essay due, will not be focusing on fic for a bit. Will update next week still.)_


	10. Chapter J

Chapter 10: Juveniles

* * *

The heart of Eldin had four major groups: the Aefros, the Dinolfos, the Lizalfos, and the Dodongos. The first three were a bit more evolved than the latter. They built the grand structures about the mines.

That being said it takes a lot of work and time to build said structures and expand their homes. The adults barely have enough time to watch the hatchlings let alone the juveniles. Once the young are able to act autonomously they are left to their own devices. Which allowed the current events to happen.

A small group of five mismatched misfits found their way into a secluded cavern. Usually there would be two occupants but one had to leave to help with an accident and the other was dozing away. As they neared the sleeping occupant they began to converse in hushed whispers.

"He'sss sso ssmall," cooed the small dinolfos.

"I think it'ss ugly," stated the older aefros.

"D-d-don't be mean, Ranir," the other firery aefros chided.

"I want t-t-to hold him," the middle lizalfos exclaimed. Quietly of course.

Slapping the reaching arm away the fiery aefros chided the younger lizalfos. "Hey! No t-touching, he'ss ssleeping!"

"But, he d-d-does not wake when Aida c-carries him, Fer," the other lizalfos reasoned.

"Oda's right, he d-does not wake when she c-carries him," the younger rebutted.

"Val, you are not Aida. And Aida is careful when she holdss him, Oda." She countered back.

"I think he'ss waking." While the others were bickering the lone dinolfos was watching the sleeping hatchling. It seems that despite their low tones it was still a bit too noisy for the previously lone occupant.

The hatchling was an odd thing. If it weren't for a few things it could easily pass for a Hylian babe. It had a round face, pudgy body, slightly pink skin, and hair. But that's where the similarities end. It also had small horns, scattered scales, wings, and a tail. Oh, and it hatched from an egg. As it opened blearily hazy eyes, one can also notice the slightly slit pupils.

But there is one universal thing that all infants do.

And that's cry.

Loudly.

Especially when nap time is interrupted.

And that was exactly what the hatchling did.

The group of five were now hastily trying to calm the screeching infant. Oda and Val were making silly faces, Fer was trying to negotiate, and Ranir was just panicking. None of it worked and the hatchling was starting to turn red in the face. Until Yir picked it up under its armpits and hugged it. Shocked, everyone else just stared as the youngest of the group managed to quiet the screaming babe.

Unfortunately that was the exact moment the infant's actual minder arrived.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"

 _THUD_

And the screeching began anew.

* * *

"And that'ss why master d-doesn't like to be carried," explained a much older Fer.

"Oh," expelled a slightly less forlorn Darunia. He was currently sitting and rubbing a slightly tender spot on his ribs.

Who knew rock people could bruise.

* * *

AN: Soooo sorry about the late update. Life got a bit hectic and my beta was having some technical difficulties. (It's still not fixed but we found a way). Anyway enough about me, let's move onto the chapter.

Yeah baby Volga. Everybody wants that right _*crickets*_ right moving on. The hardest part of this chapter was giving names to the group. And I thought it'd be funny if they were responsible for Volga's no random carry rule. Come on let's be real I'm pretty sure most of us have been dropped as a baby. And after that there was always adult supervision.

* * *

 _Up next: A lost queen?_


	11. Chapter K

_A/N: There is a slightly in depth description of a wound. If gore (no matter how slight) is not your thing you can skip that paragraph it's not that important to the story. Also important authors note at the end so please read all the way to the end thanks._

* * *

Chapter 11: Knight

* * *

A breeze blew through the room, causing a slight chill to run through the occupants. A king stood still as he read and reread a piece of parchment.

 _5,000,000 rupees or you'll never see her again. Drop off in Faron Woods. Don't make us wait._

Gazing around the splintered furniture the king wondered, how did they reach the window.

* * *

Elsewhere many miles away a shout rang throughout the plateau separating mountain from forest. A burly man was out of breath as he sped past boulders and sparse trees. Not wanting to share the same fate as his companion he bolted his way in the direction he knew Goron City to be. Just as he was about to reach the mountains something heavy and big pinned him to the ground. Drips were felt along with a warm breath that stunk of death. Thinking it was the end he braced himself for the final bite...that never came.

A loud series of growls and screeches, that meant gibberish to him, was yelled in a baritone voice and the dodongo shut its mouth with an audible clack. Soon enough bare feet ( talons, claws?) came into his view. Gazing upwards as far as he could from his pinned position he was able to at least tell that whomever (whatever) came was not his rescuer but much worse.

It was the owner of the dodongo.

And he was not pleased.

Crouching now, the blood on his face was much easier to see and even more terrifying. Knowing that it was he who wounded the man (creature) in front of him made him wonder, why did he spare me.

"You're probably wondering why I spared you, yes?" He spoke suddenly causing the man to jump. At least as much as he could. Not knowing what else to do except answer the question he nodded. Talking was a bit difficult at the moment. So was breathing. A sinister grin filled Volga's features as he said, "So she can do the honors." Then a sharp pain filled his being and the world went black.

* * *

Rubbing her knuckles, the queen gratefully nodded at her rescuer. The unconscious would-be-abductor will be dealt with properly back home. For now he'll be tied up in the very ropes used to hold her.

"Feel better now?" The cheeky remark brought her out of her thoughts.

"Yes if you must know," she drawled back. Seeing the boyish grin still on his face she couldn't help but giggle.

Queen Hilda had to admit she was scared when the brutish man unexpectedly burst from the rocks riding a humongous king dodongo. But the kidnappers were scared too and suddenly their escaping quarry wasn't as important. Especially when it seemed that the man sicced said dodongo at them.

Throwing the man with his equally unconscious accomplice, courtesy of the queen as well, the dragon made a show of dusting off his hands. Hilda was only slightly unamused by this since she was the one who wanted them alive.

"Tell me again why I can't just let Bombchu eat them?"

"For the last time they will be punished by Hylian laws for a crime done to Hyrule not by a Reptilian Chieftain who literally came at the last second to rescue me. Which by the way I had already done by myself thank you very much."

Immediately the queen felt a bit guilty saying that. Especially when the price of assisting her was grotesquely displayed on his face. A large gash from temple to lip adorned the left side of Volga's face. It split his eye in half at a slight angle, the eyelid wasn't spared the treatment either. Most of it was scabbed over by now but it was still a sight to see.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that last part, it was uncalled for."

A huffy chuckle reached her ears, " Don't be, you're right anyway. I did come at the last second. How did you manage to escape, though?"

Reaching for her crown she bluntly said, "They should have taken this off me. It's stupidly pointy."

The tranquil silence of the plains was soon broken by two very boisterous laughs.

"Hahahaha! Oh! That reminds me…" the dragon chief reached over and plucked the crown off of the still jovial queen's hands, "this needs an enchantment change."

Piqued now the queen ceased laughing, "Enchantment? What enchantment?"

"A few years ago we were commissioned, by second hand no need to look so confused. We were commissioned to find certain gemstones that had magical properties for protection," finished with the change he handed the crown back. Hilda held it in her hands and studied the gems.

"We were given an obviously incorrect description of you at the time. It was meant for someone who would not actively fight back against physical harm against them. As long as you wear the crown and do nothing, no harm will come to you. The thought to take it off will not cross the assailants' mind either."

Looking at her direction Volga continued, "But, you. You, are very much a warrior at heart and so the enchantment had to be changed. It now prevents you from taking any serious damage to your person. I'm sure you can handle a couple scratches, your majesty."

Hearing the slight prideful undertone towards her, Queen Hilda made a decision. Standing she grabbed one of the discarded swords and stood in front of Volga.

"Can you kneel please?"

Wary now he asked why.

"So I can knight you."

His turn to stand now he began to protest, "What do you mean knight me!? You can't do that, I'm a chief anyway so I can't be a knight. Besides your people will never stand for a halfbreed knight, you'll probably be the center of discontent and malice and -"

Finally silencing the rambling dragon by placing two fingers against his lips Hilda continued, "Not as an official knight. I know very much the consequence of such an action. I meant knighting you as an honorary knight. You have shown all the qualities for such a title. I believe you deserve it.

"And I know you'll live for much longer than I will but this title will stay with you until you can be knighted properly in the distant future." Taking a deep breath she finished, "So will you take this privilege?"

The dragon was still for so long that Hilda was beginning to regret having mentioned the knighthood. Then slowly the hybrid began to kneel. And the ceremony went on with no witnesses except the rocks and trees. The queen giving instructions and the dragon following along.

And so the dragon chieftain of the caves became the Dragon Knight of Eldin. The title that will strike fear into the hearts of many criminals in the future.

But for now he was still Volga and he needed to help a queen return to her castle.

* * *

A/N: Such a gentleman escorting the queen home. Well as close to home as he can, he just sort of passed her on to the Gorons after this. Along with the abductors.

I know many people were disappointed with Hilda not being a dlc character along with Ravio and Yuga. But Zelda does have her as a recolor so I made her Zelda's grandmother in the AU. And the one to knight Volga and give him his title. After all royalty does have to knight you so why not.

Onto the important stuff! I'm so sorry I know I just started this fic but I'm going on a hiatus. Why? Well as an artist first I decided to participate in Inktober this year for the first time. And college is getting a bit tougher. The good news is I'm still going to be writing just not posting. I get anxious with deadlines and I write better when not pressured so you should have some good content for November. And a steady update schedule. So toodles my fellow fanficers I'll see you guys November.

* * *

 _Up Next: On scheduled hiatus see you November!_


	12. Chapter L

Chapter 12: Lounge

* * *

It was a crisp autumn afternoon and a lull in activity was present. The enemy seems to be retreating and the royal army had a chance to properly care for their injured. The battle wasn't too long or arduous but there were still some wounded.

One such wounded soldier was Vincent. In the heat of battle a solitary bokoblin managed a lucky hit and struck the troop down. However, Vincent's own luck kicked in and he was quickly found and rushed back to the medic tents.

The first sense to come back to Vincent was smell. The strong scent of sweat, blood, and medicinal herbs told him exactly where he was. But there was also an underlying scent that was vaguely familiar he just couldn't put his finger on.

The next sensation to return was his hearing. There were grunts and groans of pain but also soft snoring. Combined with the crickets chirping and the calls of birds of prey he figured it was sometime in the evening. The snoring was surprisingly close though.

He also felt warm.

Really warm.

He may have been provided with a blanket, he can't ignore the scratchy fabric no matter how disoriented he is, but the weather was still chilly enough to feel even in the tents. So what was keeping him warm?

Finally tired of being in the dark, Vincent attempted to pry his heavily lids open. And after a considerable amount of time and force he managed a small crack. Then immediately shut them after being assaulted by the brightly lit tent. Trying once more he blinked a couple times to adjust to the admittedly poorly lit tent.

His vision was swarmed with shades of green and muddy brown. A couple more blinks revealed them to be a very familiar group of slumbering lizards surrounding his cot. That answered his warm question. Looking to the left he knew that the leader wouldn't be far behind. The troop had never really seen the Dragon Knight sleep before but observing Volga now he didn't exactly look very relaxed. The markings around his eyes looked darker and he seemed very tense. Vincent cringed a bit at the awkward angle his head was in.

"They haven't left since he brought you in."

Startled, the soldier turned in the direction of the soft voice. Apparently his return to consciousness did not go unnoticed. A motherly nurse handed him a flask of water and instructed that he sip at it slowly. He didn't realize how parched he was until the cool water washed down his throat.

"How long have I been here?" His still underused voice groaned out.

"About two days. Your friends here were worried about you. They seemed dead set that the chill will kill you and wouldn't leave. Well, at least I got most of them to go but those six wouldn't budge." Pleased with her inspection of the bandages on his head and the answers she received upon questioning, she began to move on to other patients. "Had to slip a sedative in the dragon's water just to get him to sleep." He heard her mumble under her breath.

That answered most of his questions.

Stuck with nothing else to do he just kept silent watch on his slumbering guardians. Fer was the first to awaken and was quickly followed by the others, except for the sedated Dragon Knight.

"Oh, you are awake!" Fer stated excitedly. "Finally." Ranir yawned. Fer sent a look of disapproval at Ranir's callousness. "How d-do you feel?" Val questioned. "Are you going t-to die?!" Oda exclaimed. "Don't be sstupid, Oda, the hylian iss fine." Ranir scolded. "Iss it t-too cold," Fer asked. "

"I don't think hiss neck iss s-suppose t-to be like that." Yir observed, gaze focused on the hybrid. And on and on the lizards questioned until Vincent cut in, "ENOUGH!"

Taking a calming breath the soldier continued, "Look I know you're worried about me but I'm fine. No, the cold won't kill me. Yes, I am feeling much better thanks for asking. And no, I won't die because of a hit to the head. Now, will somebody _please_ tell me why Volga had to be sedated?" Because honestly he had no clue as to why. Contrary to popular belief the dragon actually loved sleep and would sleep all day if he could. So why did he have to be forced into his favorite pastime activity.

"Oh, he ssstayed awake t-to make sure you d-did not perish."

"He wass very inssisted to wake you every hour."

"He did not ssleep ssince he brought you in."

"He wass afraid of you passing while he sslept,"

"The nurse thought it best t-to make him ssleep since he wass very hostile."

Hearing all that Vincent eloquently responded with, "Oh." It seemed the Knight was worried about him enough to avoid sleeping just to make sure he was ok. He was not sure how he felt about that.

With nothing much else to do, and the confirmation that their fellow brother-in-arms was well, the group left in search for something to eat.

Which left Vincent alone with a still slumbering Volga.

It wasn't until the barely peaking dawn when the hybrid finally started to stir. An audible crack! resounded as he straightened out his neck. "That sounded bad," Vincent winced out. "Feels how it sounds," the knight groggily agreed. Only to realize who he was talking to.

"Vincent! You're awake. Are you feeling better now? The healers told me you had a mild concussion due to the blow. I've been waking you every hour but one of the nurses told me it wasn't really necessary after the first day. Speaking of don't drink the water I think she laced it with something."

Now Vincent really knew how worried his friend was for him. Rambling was one of the subtle ticks the dragon has when he feels greatly distressed.

That and slightly bouncing his leg.

Which he was doing.

Vincent had to put an end to this so he bluntly answered his questions. Yes he did have a mild concussion, no it wasn't too serious, he was feeling better, and the nurse only drugged his water. The dragon wasn't too happy to hear that he was sedated.

"That was very rude of her," he pouted. "Well from what I gathered from the others you outright refused to sleep for a day and a half. And when I woke up you were still stressed out. I think I can see why she drugged you." Vincent countered. The knight was still sour about it.

"Well seeing as how I'm awake now I think you can go ahead and get some proper rest and get something to eat. I'm sure your lizard dogpile misses you," Vincent cheekily suggested. He had to stifle a laugh as the other sent him a mighty glare that was borderlining a pout. But the dragon stood up anyways, cracking his back while he was at it. "Fine. And by the way a group of lizards is called a lounge, smartass," and with that Volga set off to find some decent food, pleased with the knowledge that his friend was ok.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys I'm back! I'll admit Inktober wasn't as successful as I wanted it to be but I did get some good drawings in so yeah.

I'm still on the fence about this chapter but my beta said it was fine. Anyway, CHARATER DEVELOPMENT! FOR VINCENT! AND THE MISFIT SQUAD! But yeah a group of lizards is called a lounge, I thought that was fun. And Volga does enjoy sleep. Why? Because humans and dragons love sleep and you know it.

* * *

 _Up Next: The cycles of life._


	13. Chapter M

_A/N: There's a long authors note at the end please read._

* * *

Chapter 13: Moult

* * *

Far off in a secluded part of Hyrule a blue haired sorceress was keeping a vigilant watch over the land. Silently gazing at her shrouded crystal ball. At least as much as she could, her hyperactiveness wouldn't let her stay still for very long. But that's what her recently reacquired second half was for. The repentant witch would take turns with her better half whenever she needed a break and vice versa.

It was during one of Lana's break that something entirely unexpected happened. Although, in hindsight they really should have seen it coming.

As Lana was about to leave the Valley Of Seers a sizable speck was seen in the sky. Lana recognized it as her constant companion since the war against Cia ended, but something was off. His flight pattern was erratic and unstable almost like…

like he was injured.

Lana immediately took off toward the ever growing speck with trepidation. She hoped her friend was ok. As she she got closer she can see that he was draped in a cloak that had seen better days. He shakily landed on his knees a little ways from her and as she reached him she noticed no signs of injury. _So why the erratic flight pattern_.

Then a grotesque clawed hand grasped her arm. The skin was peeled off in splotches with bright pink skin replacing it, it looked like he had sunburns all over his hand. The sleeve of his cloak slid down and she can see that whatever was happening didn't stop at his hands. Worry refilling her she redirected her gaze to his face and although the hood hid him well she can tell that it was happening there too.

"Oh, Hylia what happened?!"

"Lana, you need to help me!"

"I can see that!"

"Lana, I'm, I'm.."

Crouching now Lana anxiously waited for him to finish.

"I'M MOULTING!" Volga caterwauled.

The cerulean sorceress paused. At first it was confusion about what she heard. Then realization of what it meant. Finally shock at the fact of the outright childish behavior. Moulting of course was a natural process of any reptile and avian. It was something to expect quite frequently for lizards especially. She had stoically told him so.

"I know that! It actually happens every seven years for me. But, that's not the point!" The dragon argued.

"Then what is? Because from the way I see it it looks like you're being overdramatic over something that happens on a regular basis."

"It's the timing and feel. It happened too early and the scales aren't falling off right!"

Tearing off the cloak he pointed at a patch of scales close to his left elbow. "This was suppose to fall off already but it hasn't!" Pointing at another patch near his ribs. "This wasn't suppose to fall off yet! And it just feels wrong."

It looked wrong too. He was covered in pink patches, which Lana now knows is new scales, but they were actually pretty sparse upon closer examination. The dull red of unshed scales were more prominent about him.

"How long have you been moulting?" The sorceress questioned. If it had been a while then there was a problem.

"About two weeks now. I should be almost done already." Was the distressed reply.

"Have you tried peeling them off yourself?"

Her suggestion was immediately met with an _are you stupid?!_ look.

"Well I don't know! Why did you come to me in the first place? Don't you guys have someone who knows about this?"

"If I go to someone in the clan about this they will panic! I'm still too new to them. They have no idea how I'm suppose to work. They freaked out when I didn't moult every _few weeks_! How do you think they'll react _now_?!" The irate, and a bit panicked, hybrid began to pace about.

"Then why come to me? I still don't understand." And she really didn't. If the very beings he had lived with for centuries have no clue as to how to help him. How was she suppose to help.

Sighing he reluctantly replied, "Because as a timeless being I figured you would have at least seen something like this before."

Seeing this huge amount of vulnerability from the usually very stoic dragon caught the sorceress off guard once again. This time she tried to think really hard about a time that she had seen something like this. But, even if she was half of the original Time Guardian she was also very new to this world. Then it struck her.

"WAIT! I know who might know more about this!" She excitedly exclaimed.

"Really?! Who?" Was the hopeful reply

"Cia!"

The witch was technically the _original_ Time Guardian since Lana was forced out of _her_. Perhaps she can still recall all that she had witnessed in her time.

"...Cia?" The hybrid replied.

"Yeah! Why, what's wrong with asking her?" Lana noticed the slight hesitance.

"Nothing. It's just…"

" _Juust_ …"

Realizing that she wasn't going to get an answer the bluenette took action and grabbed the redhead.

"Well, since you're not objecting I guess we'll just go then."

Startled, the hybrid didn't even have a chance to object before the sorceress opened a portal under their feet. Landing shakily the dragon took notice of the slight differences of their new location. Specifically that they were now inside a building and there was one other person there.

"Woah. What happened to you? You look like you had a fight with the sun and lost."

And there it was. The reason why he didn't go to Cia in the first place.

"I'm leaving now."

"Hey, I'm just messing with you. Come back and I'll help you with your moulting problem." Piqued, Volga returned to where the sorceresses stood.

"You know what's wrong with him?" Lana was surprised that Cia actually knew what it was.

"I may have eavesdropped a bit but I do have a theory,"

"Volga have you ever taken a break since the wars ended?"

Taken off guard by the question Volga began to think back to a couple of months ago. Coming up with a blank he responded with the first thing that popped up, "I visited Lana every week."

"That doesn't count and you know it." The witch rebutted.

"Well, what does it matter if I took a break or not?" Snapped the dragon.

"It matters because it's why you moulted early and wrong."

"Excuse me?"

Cia sauntered up to the knight. Placing a hand on his gem she continued, "there are cases of lizards moulting incorrectly due to stress. And knowing everything you've been through," she gazed at the unmarred surface, "I believe you need some time off."

Replacing her hand back to her side she playfully stated, "but first we need to get rid of your skin."

* * *

After a lengthy apology and one dragon wrangling later, the Time Guardians had one unamused Dragon Knight wrapped in a multitude of warm and damp towels. It seemed as though the cure was to just loosen the scales enough so they can come off on their own.

"This is humiliating." Volga pouted

"It was this or the pond and you flipped out with the pond." Lana exasperated as she began to take some of the towels off.

"You threw me in there with no warning." He seethed.

"Quit your whining you were fine." Cia began to try to rub a couple of the loose scales off.

"It was _freezing_!"

"We thought you would've warmed it up." Lana piped up from a successful scale removal.

" _With what_?!"

"Oh, I don't know? Yourself, maybe." Cia suggested.

"I can't believe this."

Although humiliated and teased relentlessly, the hybrid couldn't really complain. After all he was technically taking a break.

* * *

A/N: Wow I left for a really long time. Sorry for that but I had my last major essay due last week and it had to be five pages long. Ironic since this chapter was about 5 pages long. Aaaand I hope this pulls you guys over until finals are over. It's the last few weeks of the semester and I really need to focus for my hey guess what English class. But we are half way through with this story so yay. So updates as soon as the next Tuesday after finals. That being said onto the chapter notes.

Yes lizards moult very often because the scales don't grow with them. And humans have completely new cells every seven years. So I just combined the two for Volga. That being said stress can cause lizards to shed incorrectly and the method I went with is an actual way to help your scaly buddy out. Just don't dunk 'em in water. Not cool.

(ps:I'm not an expert please consult with your local veterinarian if your scaly companion is ill. Thanks.)

* * *

 _Up next: A fellow redhead!_


	14. Chapter N

Chapter 14: Noble

* * *

Volga was used to being called many things in his long, _long_ , **_long_** lifetime. Including but not limited to: Chief, Master, Kid (courtesy of Darius), Scorching Berserker, and The Dragon Knight of Eldin. Of course these were acquired over centuries and he had gotten used to the titles.

However, he will probably never get used to one newly acquired title.

"Hello, Sir Volga, how can I be of assistance."

"Oh, don't worry about that, Sir Volga. I'll get that for you."

"I have laid out your attire for the day, Sir Volga. I hope it's to your liking."

"Your breakfast, Sir Volga."

And on and on the services continued. It began to drive the hybrid mad. The title of nobility and all that came with it was just so _frustrating_! He wasn't even treated like this with the title of _Master_ for crying out loud!

It had only been a week since his official knighthood was revealed and suddenly all the servants in Hyrule Castle began to treat him like royalty. Getting him this and that, and _goddesses_ even preparing his clothes and meals everyday. He even eventually resorted to hiding in the stables just to avoid the castle staff. At least the stable boy, or rather the stable girl, hadn't gone mad with the rest of them.

Which is where he found himself once again. The hard working, former farm girl was great company. She didn't hold back on anything and asked so many "real" questions about the dragon that he just couldn't help but answer them. Such as now.

"Ya' know, how come yer always a human? Would it be better t' be a dragon all the time?" Marnie, as he later found out, grunted as she tossed a saddle onto an awaiting steed.

"Two words," the lazing knight replied, " mobility and doors."

The response earned him a loud guffaw and a comment on how that's the truth.

"You know, Marcos doesn't like the bit." Volga stated after a while.

"Oh, so you can speak horse now?" Marnie teased. Fighting to place the bit on said horse.

"No, but I can hear him huffing. Why are you saddling him up?"

" 'Cause _Lord Francis_ wants to go for a ride later and as a show of his _manliness_ he wants the fiercest horse. Can you believe that?"

"What a, how do you say? _Utter frog faced jackass_!"

"Hahahaha! Yeah that's the one."

"I wonder though," the redhead brought up after successfully getting the bit on the fighting horse, "should you be up an' about? I recently heard ya only woke up 'bout three weeks ago." She really didn't want to get in trouble with George if she had unwittingly harbored a still-healing, fugitive, patient for a week.

It will not end well.

"Don't know, don't care," was the flippant remark, "all I know is that if I have to hear one more, _Sir Volga_ , I think I'll eat somebody."

"Besides I'm doing much better out here anyway. So, I don't see a problem."

"Yer not really being serious about eating someone are ya?" Marnie asked. She really hoped he was kidding.

"No. Humans are disgusting. But I might consider it." The dragon huffed.

With her job done, Marnie sat next to the supine hybrid. She had no idea how he could stand lying down on hay, it was so scratchy. But she supposed his scales help out with that.

It was quite peaceful in the stables. Aside from the frog faced jackass, nobody really goes there unless they had some business outside the castle. Which hasn't been very often since the wars ended. Of course the steeds were used to help aid in the rebuilding effort after what Ganon had done, but most of the heavy debris have been cleared and removed so there wasn't much use for the horses at the moment.

"Well, if ya do snap can you eat Francis? That boy's been nothin' but a thorn in my side."

Marnie smiled at the chuckle she was rewarded with for the comment. Her grin grew wider when she received a solid _maybe_ for her request.

"Why, do you hate yer title so much? I'd love t' be called Lady Marnie. Then maybe I'd get a bit o' respect 'round here." She threw herself onto the hay, the prickling didn't bother her anymore.

"Trust me Marnie no amount of respect would be worth having everything done for you," the dragon groused.

"What do ya mean?"

"I mean it's annoying when everybody does everything for you."

"Doesn't sound too bad."

"I guess if you've never experienced it before it doesn't. However, I already had to go through that once. I did not appreciate it then and I definitely don't appreciate it now."

"Wait, you were pampered before!?"

"A long time ago and I don't want to talk about it." With that the hybrid ended the conversation.

"For what it's worth," the knight started, breaking the prolonged awkward silence, "I respect you."

Blushing, and thanking the goddesses that her companion couldn't see her, she thanked him. Then feeling a little mischievous she added a _Sir Volga_ as well. Seems like not all nobles were bad after all.

* * *

A/N: Ok, I'm back! Finals went pretty ok, I got a passing grade. Sorry for the delays I was editing this in Disneyland. Onward to the chapter notes.

I know it's kinda vague but trust me on this all will be revealed in later chapters. On that note heyo another oc. She's not too important to the story but I do have her entire backstory thought out. And yeah Volga is not a camper when excessively pampered. Or pampered at all. And remember in chapter "k" he was knighted, albeit unofficially, it has come full circle and unfortunately bit him in the ass.

* * *

 _Up Next: There's someone for everyone but not everyone wants someone._


	15. Chapter O

_A/N: Holy Hylia, I'm so sorry I've been absent for sooooo looong. 2018 has not been kind to me so far. I nearly lost my cat to a very terrible condition and almost had to euthanize her because we couldn't afford the surgery she needed. Luckily my oldest brother help us out and she's recovering beautifully. I'm putting this up here because I actually do want to go a bit more in depth about this chapter at the bottom. So enjoy and please read the authors note at the bottom, thanks._

* * *

Chapter 15: Obfuscate

It's common knowledge that the Dragon Knight is a very serious person. He does things deliberately and precisely, never strays from a mission or task, and is outright blunt.

All the same it's also common knowledge that he also has a mischievous side as well. One that he actually quite enjoys to abuse whenever he can without breaking character. He does have an image to maintain.

However, if there was one thing that does borderline his serious/mischievous personality is flirting.

Volga is very aware of the effect he causes among the Hylian women, and on occasion men. He knows very well why so many will ask him to perform a task that requires a bit of physical exertion. He actually finds it very annoying. His proper upbringing, however, refuses to let him turn down the task regardless of its hidden agenda. Besides sometimes the person asking actually does need his help. The ones who don't legitimately need his help usually meet his passive fury.

Which is why he retaliates by flirting.

Constantly, and with abandon.

How is that a retaliation you might ask? Well it's the method he does it.

When one of the non legitimate requesters begin to "discreetly" flirt with him he would respond back in as flat a manner as possible. Sometimes even taking the euphemism literally. His flat tone leaves them wondering if he actually meant what he said or if it's just another Hylian thing he just doesn't comprehend. The result are then very amusing. They usually involve: sputtering, stammers, long awkward silences, and/or the person stopping completely.

Although, no plan is without its faults.

After successfully flirting with a great number of people it seems a pool of sorts was created. Many decided to bet on his preference. Generally most betted on him enjoying the company of women. Surprisingly around the same amount betted on him liking men. A few betted on both. One person betted on neither.

It honestly made him hysterical on the inside to know that the poor fool was chastised for such a guess.

Because, ironically,

he was right.

* * *

 _A/N: Sorry about the short chapter but I honestly had to rewrite this multiple times. I wasn't actually sure if I should just outright state that he was ace or just kinda imply it. Guess I did bit of both. I was also unsure if I should even post this chapter 'cause I didn't want to cause any unwanted drama by making him ace in my AU. But yeah I did make him an ace in the AU. Why? Does it matter? There really isn't a reason for anyone's sexual preference. This is merely another part of his character as a whole and not his whole character. Let the man dragon have his platonic relationships in peace._

* * *

 _Up next: A chipper drunk makes a sloppy kisser._


	16. Chapter P

_FwooshEye: Nice, glad I'm not alone in this._

 _James Birdsong: Thanks man! Hope you enjoy the rest._

* * *

Chapter 16: Proof

* * *

This was ridiculous! He is a leader, a warrior, a goddess-damned creature of myth and legend! He is most definitely _not_ an _errand boy_! So, _why_ is the princess sending him out to go collect some knight from a _tavern_?!

The sight of the fuming Dragon Knight sent nearby outgoers stumbling out of his path in fear of being trampled. It hasn't been long since the chaos left behind from the war finally settled and peace had once again been regained. The townsfolk were finally able to get their lives together and once again follow the same old routines.

Many of the soldiers found this time to be a perfect opportunity to horribly inebriate themselves.

Which meant someone had to go get them.

Which should not have meant him.

But there he was at the entrance of the distasteful place. By Hylia he can smell the acrid stench from the outside. Taking a calming breath he banged the doors open.

"GALVIN KEITH ANDERSON GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE NOW!"

So much for the calming breath. Everyone in the building, and surrounding area, jumped violently at the bellowing shout. Everyone except the merry target who was drunkenly chugging away at his drink. Noticing this only incensed the hybrid more. Stomping his way toward the oblivious knight, the other patrons wisely made a straight path towards him, he could hear his prey chuckling about something or other. He didn't really care. He cared less when his objective loudly complained as he unceremoniously grabbed him and slung him over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes.

"Woah! Hey what are you doing?!" Galvin screeched. The sudden orientational change nearly made him lose his late lunch.

" _We_ are going to see what the princess wants," the dragon seethed.

"Wha, _now_?"

"Yes, _now_."

For reasons Volga wasn't sure of yet the weight on his shoulder grew steadily heavier. He was stumbling close to the exit when his shoulder muttered, "Can I at least get one more drink, please?" Not knowing what had possessed him but he actually said, "Fine, whatever." Turned around and dropped his charge at the counter. "Woah! Hey! Not on the counter!" Then plopped himself on a seat. It nearly broke under his weight but seemed to be holding.

* * *

Vincent wasn't sure why the princess looked pleased when she had asked him to fetch Volga from a tavern of all places, but it seemed like some plan had gone right for her. Apparently she had asked the hybrid to collect a different knight from the same tavern around late afternoon and he hadn't returned since. She said something about fumes and heat, then sent him off the get a possibly inebriated dragon knight.

As Vincent neared the tavern he heard loud boisterous laughter coming from it. Upon opening the doors a strong acrid smell wafted out. He's no light weight by any means but whatever they were drinking in there was making him feel a bit buzzed just smelling it. Making his way to a rather sizable group he found his quarry.

Horribly and magnificently drunk.

And yet the most relaxed he's ever seen his friend be.

"VINCENT! Shit, was that too loud? No, ok. VINCENT C'MERE!" Was his rather overenthusiastic invitation. Upon reaching the drunk dragon he realized two things: one Volga was a goddess damn light weight, and two Volga was also a very very chipper drunk. "LOOK! LOOK! THE GORONS HAVE BROUGHT MY FAVORITE MEAD!" Scratch that first observation, the gorons are party animals. "That's nice of them but I have orders to take you back to your room in the castle." Come to think of it, "actually I think I'll take you back to my place." Vincent was sure the hybrid would mind the gossip that was sure to spread should anyone see him in his current state.

"You know people usually try to get me dinner before saying that."

And just like that the knight was completely taken off guard. Apparently the hybrid was also a flirty drunk. "No thanks. I love my wife and I'm sure you're going to regret this when you sober up. Let's go."

The trek back to his home wasn't a very long one but traveling with a 7-foot giant that can barely walk and insists on using you as a crutch in the dark. Let's just say home never seemed so far away. Most of the journey went uneventful except for the time where the Dragon thought it was a brilliant idea to shoot a small fireball at an "annoying noise." The cucco was fine and luckily didn't decide to get revenge on the pair.

Upon reaching his home Vincent realized one small problem.

His hands were full.

And the door was locked.

Not sure if waking his most likely sleeping wife was a good idea or not he decided that maybe a good kick might open his door.

It didn't.

And the noise woke not only his wife but he can now hear loud crying in the house. Wonderful. And now one dragon knight thought that the door kicking was some sort of competition.

Well at least the door was open now.

* _Fwoosh_ *

* _CLANG_ *

* _HISSS_ *

"Woah! Ok, everybody calm down! Lizzy it's me! Vincent! Please don't throw the good pot! And you, calm down! I don't need the house set on fire!"

Taking a better look his frazzled wife responded quite elegantly, "Din'sake! Vincent, do you have any idea what time it is! You woke up Diana with the racket you caused. And you mister, you owe us a new door!"

"It's no use talking him like this he probably won't even remember anything. Just wait until he sobers up and then you can chastise him."

Seeing how their impromptu guest won't be sobering up anytime soon and everybody was now too awake to sleep a late _late_ night dinner was in order. Nothing too complicated just a simple broth with a few vegetables in it. Once it was consumed, or most of it in the case of half the current household, sleeping arrangement were in order. "You woke her up so you're going to make her sleep," Eliza ordered. "Very well dear," picking up the fussy infant and planting a kiss on his better half's cheek he was just about to go off and complete his mission when a voice piped up. "How nice, the both o' you remind me of my family." Surprised by the random tidbit of the dragon's personal life the knight couldn't help but try to coax out a bit more info. Volga never speaks of his childhood.

"Really? How so?" He moved closer, still bouncing Diana in the hope that she'll sleep.

"Aida woul' make whoe'er woke me up put me back t' sleep. Mos' the time it'd be Darius. I like Darius he smells like home."

Huh, interesting. Eliza had sat next to him at some point and was curious as well. "Did Darius spend a lot of time in the caves?"

"Naw really. He jus' visted once in a while. He taugh' me how t' be a ruler when I was 60. It was booring." Apparently the memory was so boring he decided he no longer wished to hold up his head anymore. A very worrying crack was issued from his table but thankfully it didn't break from the sudden impact. Perhaps his ward was finally getting tired but he wanted to know one more thing before sending the hybrid off to sleep,

"Hey, Volga, are we friends?"

It was silly question and he knew it but he had to know if the feeling was mutual or not.

Suddenly the hybrid's entire demeanor changed and for a second it looked like he did sober up. But it was a split second and the next thing he knew his entire family, himself included, were wrapped up in a sort of bear hug. He wasn't even sure how he moved so swiftly and around the table at that. Thinking that the hug was his answer he wasn't prepared for the wet sensation on his cheek. Yelping in disgust he tried to pry himself from the bulky arms holding him hostage without jostling the baby too much. That failed and he saw him plant a sloppy kiss on Diane's head. Hearing Eliza yelp he knew she suffered the same fate.

"There, I marked you now no more silly questions, iss sleep time."

And just like that the dragon once again became dead weight and nearly toppled everyone over. This time the floorboard did crack and split when he landed on it. Of course he didn't care since he was dead to world. Not knowing what else to do and the fact that neither of them can actually move him they just propped his face on a pillow and covered him completely in blankets and left it at that. Feeling an irrational spark of panic, Vincent checked to see if his friend was still breathing before he headed off to bed. The last time he saw him like this was… it didn't matter he was breathing and his pulse was steady, if a bit accelerated, but that was just the alcohol. He's fine and alive and that's fine. Repeating the mantra in his head he finally joined his wife and sleeping infant and dozed off wondering what Volga meant by 'marking' and hoping he wouldn't have to murder his friend in his sleep.

* * *

A/N: Whoops, sorry for the late update I lost track of time. Fun fact lizards mark things by licking them so I have incorporated that as kissing instead. Depending on where and how the kiss was executed indicates the relationship offered (i.e. a chaste kiss on back of hand is equivalent to a treaty or truce). So basically Volga just "accidentally", or not, marked Vincent and his whole lineage as family. I'm not gonna go too far into detail about this because I'm planning on making this chapter it's own separate story, so expect that sometime soon.

And yes I am planning a relevant chapter soon. I've been building it up since 'M'. Cookies for those who can guess which letters my plan will come to fruition.

* * *

 _Up Next: It's so big and feathery!_


	17. Chapter Q

Chapter 17: Quarry

* * *

"I'm telling you Darius it was huge and tickly! It flew off towards the sun and-"

"Kid"

"I chased after it! And I grabbed its foot but it was scaly. Not scaly like Aida or me but-"

"Kid"

"Like weird skin scaly. And then it _bit_ me! And it took-"

"KIDDO!"

The exasperated Goron chief finally had enough. The small hybrid following behind had been speaking non-stop for the past _20 minutes_! Despite the fact that he was very much in trouble for wandering out of the main city. And losing one of his precious possessions while out here and making up some ludicrous story about how a huge _bird_ stole it from his grasp. As he told him time and time again,

"There aren't any birds that big near Goron City. Why can't you just admit you wandered off and fell into the abandoned quarry and dropped Gwen by accident? A good leader has to own up to his own mistakes from time to time."

"But I _didn't_ fall in!" The miniature dragon stomped out, "I told you the bard, burd, whatever, dropped me near it and it flew right in there! And it took Gwen!" His glassy green eyes turned even more glassy when he remember the predicament of his faithful companion.

Not wanting to see the kid cry, Darius quickly scooped him up, "Woah, hey! Nonononono. Look, it doesn't matter how Gwen ended up in the quarry, alright. I promised I'd get her back, remember?" Receiving a frantic nod in return he continued, "And besides I'm stronger than any monster bird that might be in there." Flashing a cocky grin he began to flex his arm, eliciting a giggle from his much smaller traveling companion. Crisis now averted he boosted him up to his shoulder and continued on his way to the old abandoned quarry to "rescue" an old beloved toy.

As the duo got closer to their location the chieftain heard something he never expected. Flapping. Really loud flapping. Then he saw it, a _huge_ , _monstrous_ , _bird_! The enormous avian flew right into the center of the quarry, upon further inspection the chieftain discovered that it had nested at the very bottom. Well darn, it seemed as though he's gonna have to apologize to Volga for this. The kid was telling the truth the whole time. However, how's he going to get Gwen, she's trapped underneath the helmaroc's massive girth.

Placing the hybrid down, Darius instructed him to stay put as he went to go and try to retrieve the toy quietly. Receiving his less than enthusiastic affirmation the chieftain began the arduous climb downward. The step like ledges made his descent much easier but after so much time had passed some the steps had become brittle and weak. He nearly fell a couple of times because of that and each time had to confirm his well being to his worried charge. He was genuinely surprised that the monster avian paid no attention to the slight commotion he was creating. Thanking the goddesses for this one small mercy he decided to not look a gifted horse in the mouth and soldier on towards the creature.

Finally making it to the bottom he was able to get a full grasp of just how big the helmaroc was. The once towering goron now felt like a tektite compared to it. It was busying itself with something that was slightly out of sight. Not really invested in the habits of some random bird Darius headed straight for the dodongo plush that was set aside. It was surrounded by what appeared to be random foodstuff, the bird had most likely confused it for a real dodongo considering that the dinolfos that had crafted it made it look and feel as close to the real thing as possible. Honestly he didn't even blame the blasted bird for such a mistake. Prize in hand he attempted to leave the same way he came until he heard the unmistakable sound of something snapping. Looking down he quickly shut his eyes as he realized he had stepped on a pretty sizable branch, knowing what was going to happen next he flung Gwen as high as he could and turned around. Lo and behold the stupid avian had heard the noise and was now puffed to the max and making a beeline towards him screeching.

Fully prepared for the impact, Darius managed to hold his ground against the helmaroc. That is until it took a swipe at him. Jumping back in alarm he missed the wing coming from his left and was tossed aside. Rolling to absorb the impact the chieftain got back in his feet and sent his own blow at the bird's beak. He felt the smooth hard surface slightly crack under his knuckles. Reeling in pain the helmaroc hovered above the tan pest and started to dive bomb it. Unable to hit the now airborne avian the goron chieftain was at a disadvantage and began to go on the defensive. After a fourth attempt at snatching up the goron a ball of flames hit the helmaroc dead center in the face. Shocked on both sides neither combatant had remembered that there was a third party in all this. Until a small red cannonball landed on the same spot on the helmarocs face. Darius could see the unrestrained fury on the draconic face as the hybrid clawed mercilessly at the helmaroc's face. Feathers exploded everywhere as the bird attempted to shake off its tiny, yet ferocious, assailant. Landing on the ground the helmaroc was successful in tearing the miniature dragon off by bashing it against a wall. A small yelp was issued by the hybrid before he fell limp. Feeling pleased to have gotten rid of the nuisance it missed the bulky rock running straight at it. The powerful blow knocked the helmaroc unconscious but did not finish it off.

Throwing himself on his knees the concerned chief began to examine his thankfully dazed but upright ward.

"Volga, what the hell were you thinking?! You could've been killed!" He reprimanded as soon as he confirmed that the kid was going to be fine. Honestly he nearly had a heart attack when he saw him drop like that.

"Ugh, not so loud. My head hurts. Did you get Gwen?" The boy drowsily inquired.

Wiping away the blood that had collected near the hybrid's hairline Darius found a sizable gash on Volga's forehead. But, thanks to his draconic heritage it was already scabbing over.

"Sorry. Yeah I got Gwen, I threw her up a few steps so she wouldn't get damaged," carefully scooping up the dazed child he began to walk towards the direction he threw Gwen at. The helmaroc may be out of commission but it won't last for long, he needed to get them out of there before it seeked out revenge. Picking Gwen up Darius noticed the toy had sustained some damage but it wasn't anything that can't be fixed. Placing her in the arms of her owner he felt a strange sort of bittersweetness wash over him. He knew that soon that innocent image of a child grasping his beloved toy would soon be replaced with the grand image of a stoic warrior leading an army and defending his people with his life. He already got a taste of that future when the feisty child defended him against the helmaroc and had gone into a sort of berserker rage. Sadden that those innocent years might be over soon he held on to his smaller companion just a bit firmer. It honestly hadn't seem that long ago when he found the solitary egg out near Death Mountain and brought it to the Reptilian Clan's attention.

Darius was broken out his musing by soft snores. Seems as though the day's activities had tired the kid out. He'll worry about the future when it happens, for now he'll just enjoy the present. Looking back he saw the helmaroc settle over its eggs again, perhaps that would be a problem in the future but nobody comes this way anymore.

They'll be safe.

* * *

A/N: More kid!Volga! This takes place when he's about 40-50 years old, old enough to understand things but young enough to still constantly seek out comfort in objects. And yes Darius was his caretaker for a couple of years and when the mines were getting a bit too suffocating for the hybrid. I'm not sure how well I did for the action scenes but I hope you enjoyed them.

Also I'm heading back to college next week and my classes are on Tuesday and Thursday, hence the update change.

* * *

 _Up next: No good deed goes unpunished._


	18. Chapter R

Chapter 18: Rive

* * *

What once was grand buildings and architectural wonder was turned to nothing more than debris and ruins. The palace and surrounding town lay destroyed and perverted by malic influences. The once ever blue sky turned blood red surrounded by a grey sooty fog. It was here that our heroes began their final stand against Ganondorf and his army. Having already beat his forces back little by little they had forced him to retreat to where it was always meant to end, Hyrule Castle. Or rather, what was left of it. The War to end all wars had begun here so it was only right that it should end here as well.

Although severely outnumbered the Hylian forces were able to take out Ganondorf's two main generals, Ghirahim and Zant, and capture a great many keeps as well. The thought of their home being violated as it had had burned the Hylians' blood and brought forth a rigor to be reckoned with. Mowing down their enemies brought a sort of comfort of reclaiming their home bit by bit. It was this situation that had eventually drove the King of Evil to transform into his beast form, Ganon, and summon horde after horde of monsters to defeat the hylians once and for all.

Three conspirators were plotting on how to defeat this new form.

"We can't just rush him he'll see us coming before we even reach him," the cerulean sorceress stated.

"And he's got those weird tusks that shoot at you," Proxi interjected.

"I have a plan. But, it's a long shot," the princess disclosed, "I heard tales that my ancestors were able to conjure a bow of pure light. If I can tap into my powers perhaps I can do the same, but I will need time."

"We can make time," Lana affirmed.

Receiving a nod from the silent hero the trio then executed their plan, praying to the goddesses that it would work.

* * *

Meanwhile on the battlefield the war raged on against the second horde of monsters. Many felled to the beasts but more replaced the ones lost, each more desperate to reclaim their home. Among the humans' rank were not quite humans as well. The Gorons and their neighbors had joined this battle as well, already having reclaimed their home once again from evil's grasp they had offered their services a second time. This time the Reptilian clan needed little convincing to join, they had their own vendetta against the King of Evil.

After slicing one of the outpost captains into a burst of smoke the Dragon Knight heard a yelp of distress in the distance. It came from near the castle where Ganon was currently fighting his final stand against the heroes of destiny. Despite knowing that it wasn't his fight Volga still dashed off in the same direction, a sense of dread passed through him at the sound and somehow he knew that if something didn't intervene it would spell disaster. Fighting his way through he came upon a scene that would have ended terribly. Link was down, Lana exerted magic that wouldn't have been enough to stop the demon beast from attacking them, and the princess was still attempting to conjure something; if her aura was anything to go by.

The Time Guardian was in quite a predicament, Ganon had managed a lucky blow on Link and momentarily took him down. Seeing the opportunity the beast decided to go all offensive towards the trio. Lana had managed a protective shield but that wouldn't last long, she could feel her already overused magic depleting rapidly with each hit and knew that one more would surely do her in. With the princess preoccupied there was nothing she could do as she watched the gargantuan fist slamming down towards her.

Which was why she was startled when it never connected.

Looking up she realized why it had not connected.

Their own flaming red beast had engaged in combat against Ganon.

Despite the size difference, the dragon was able to successfully hold his own against the Demon Beast. Taking advantage of the distraction Lana quickly began to heal Link of his injuries. The green hero slowly arose back to consciousness and sat up, his faithful fairy companion fussing over him. Blinking a couple of times he finally reoriented himself and stood tall once more, Master Sword gleaming brightly in hand now that its master was back. Link threw himself into the fray as the Dragon Knight launched one more fireball at the still activated tusk, destroying it in the process. That being the last one the hero was able to more confidently charge the beast and hack into it. The hero and dragon worked together to systematically take out the rest of Ganon's defenses, ripping out his tail and slashing his hands.

Having enough of these mere flies marring his body Ganon emitted a loud roar that momentarily dazed his opponents. Especially the annoying pest that kept circling above him. Reaching out he managed to grab it in his enormous paw and trap it. Which he then proceeded to squeeze with all his might. He relished in the squirming of the pathetic creature as it tried to escape his hold. Then he felt it. A smooth crystalline surface. Knowing exactly what it was, he began to slowly put pressure on it, feeling the fight drain out of his captured prey. He could hear the others flailing about trying to make him release the disgusting half breed to no avail.

Then they all heard it.

The smooth surface began to crack.

And a guttural scream filled the battlefield.

* * *

A/N: Heh, good thing I have such a small readership. I'm sure there would've been an angry mob. Right? Well, here's what I've been building up for 5 chapters. I took a bit of artistic license for the Ganon fight, partly because I can't remember excactly how it went and this is an AU so blah! Blah, I say!

* * *

 _Up Next: Scattered thoughts._


	19. Chapter S

_Warning! fbombs gonna drop in the beginning so you can skip the first two lines. This would be the one of the few times I would swear in my writing. Sorry._

* * *

Chapter 19: Shelter

* * *

He was fucked.

 _Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck_

He tried to escape but the hold was just too tight.

 _Imgonnadieimgonnadieimgonnadie_

Goddesses it hurt!

 _Painpainpainpainpainpain_

He could feel his bones cracking with the force of the hold but his draconic blood just kept healing them, leaving them to crack over and over again.

 _This is torture!_

He felt a fat thumb gliding over his chest, searching for…

 _Oh goddesses no!_

The world exploded into white noise. The slow pressure on his gem was by far the worst experience he ever felt. He started to lose his draconic form bit by bit, until he resembled something not quite dragon but not quite human either.

 _Stopitstopitstopitstopitstopit **STOPIT!**_

Then the world stopped. He felt something give. And heard an awful scream. _Was that me?_ Then there was just nothing. _What happened?_ After a short time _-or was it a long time?-_ he felt a change _-falling-_ and then it stopped _-landing_. It smelled earthy _-dirt-_ but it wasn't the ground _-odd?-_ it smelled different _-different how?-_ it had a faint metallic and sulphuric scent.

Ho _me?_

No he wasn't there _-but it smells like home-_ he was on a battlefield _-wait why was I fighting-_ wasn't he?

The home not home was moving _-or am I moving?-_ there was a deep rumble, like boulders shifting _-wake...up?-_ it was repetitive.

 _Wakeupwakeupwakeupwakeup!_

But he was awake, wasn't he?

 _Open your eyes!_

He felt pressure around him again but it was different from the hold before _-familiar-_ it was oddly, _comforting_. Feeling an odd sense of security he decided to just embrace the darkness _-tired-_ and rest.

 _Just for a bit._

He'll be back.

* * *

A/N: The ramblings of a dying man. This takes place during the last part of the previous chapter and directly after. It seems it's gonna be a three parter.

* * *

 _Up Next: Priorities!_


	20. Chapter T

_Edit: I forgot to mention a few things about this chapter in the authors note._

* * *

Chapter 20: Triage

* * *

Darius shook his charge a bit more violently after the hybrid went limp. Seeing no reaction he feared the worst and placed his ear on his chest, mindful of the now cracked gem. After a few heartstopping seconds he sighed in relief. It was faint, _very faint_ , but there. However, a concerning rattling sound accompanied it. The crushing grip had broken bones as well, perhaps a rib had punctured his lung.

After the Goron Chief heard that bloodcurdling scream his whole body froze upon realizing that he recognized the voice. He has never in the entire span of knowing Volga _ever_ heard him vocalize such a sound. Turning around he saw an image he never wanted to witness. The hybrid form of the person he thought of as one of his own, hanging limp in a monster's tight fist. Hylia, he thought he was dead by the way he looked at that moment, only the slight twitching assured him he was still alive. When he saw the princess draw a bow and arrow that seemed to be made of light, he booked it. Somehow knowing that the weapon would be effective against Ganon, he had to reach them in time to catch the hybrid before he hit the ground. Swinging both hammer and fists, no enemy in the way was spared from his desperation to reach his kid in time.

Holding him now he felt even more distressed than when he caught him. The others were able to maneuver Ganon elsewhere, to finish the battle so as not to cause further harm to the downed dragon or their surroundings. Which was good because Darius wasn't exactly sure how he was going to move the awkward tangle of armor, limbs, wings, and tail; without causing further harm or jostle the broken gem further. Not to mention that the "kid" was far bigger than him now, especially in his current form.

Eventually the goron wrapped up the hybrid in his own broken wings, carefully, and slung him over his shoulder. Mindful that the dragon's horns won't stab him. Using his free hand to wield his hammer he made his way back into the fray, creating a path of destruction straight for the small field hospital. Not caring that they were apparently winning or that the monsters had realized they were losing and grew more desperate. Not when he himself was desperate with every shaky breath he can hear from his shoulder. He made a straight line of destruction as he reached the medium sized tent in record time.

Tearing open the flap that separated him from those inside he opened his mouth to bellow for help. Only to realize then that they can't help. No matter how much he drilled into Volga's head as a kid that he was not a _monster_ , the truth of the matter was that he wasn't exactly a _human_ either. Hyrule's medical research never went past human, zora, or goron. They had no reason to, everything else was either a monster or creature. The only research on them was to find cures using whatever body parts or organs available. Hybrids weren't even supposed to survive.

But by Nayru's grace one of them noticed him and still directed him to a cot. When the springs began to creak she ordered some aids to place a few sheets on the ground instead. It wasn't ideal but neither was having her patient impact the ground and becoming even more injured than his current state. The weathered healer began her examination and barked out demands of what had happened. As Daruis explained their predicament she carefully removed the Dragon Knight's helmet, only slightly fazed when the apparent spell cast on it caused his armor to disappear with it, leaving him in the bodysuit underneath. It was then that she noticed the multitude of tears in the fabric and the gashes and cuts underneath. Quickly she begins to address and dress the wounds, startling the goron with her question.

"Why haven't those healed yet?"

"I don't know, maybe the gem had something to do with his healing abilities or something?"

A noncommittal hum was his response to his panicking.

"Darius?"

Turning around at the sound of his name he saw a certain troop heading his way.

 _I'm not sure if this makes the situation better or worse._

* * *

A/N: Well, looks like this is gonna be a four parter. Technically in a triage situation the less wounded would take first priority, I just took a bit of artistic liberty here. Also I kinda headcannon that the armor isn't really armor but just a half transformed state where the scales go over the clothing. I noticed a few things that coincide between his dragon form and the armor.

On a separate note I have a twitter now ( x5hif4x). I'll be posting some story updates such as delays or processes. Some life stuff too, so check it out and feel free to chat with me there.

* * *

 _Up Next: Recoveries and Deals._


	21. Chapter U

Chapter 21: Ultimatum

* * *

It turns out that Vincent's timely appearance was a goddess send. After Effie, the nurse who took them in, finished her administrations she notified Vincent that he had another one and to take Darius with him. Upon hearing that the troop paled and stared at the prone figure. Shaking himself out of his stupor after she yelled him to hurry he quickly commanded Darius to lift the dragon knight once more and to follow him.

After a few moments of hurried silence Darius finally asked, "Where are we going?"

The rattled troop responded, "To the Great Fairy."

Perplexed the goron chief opened his mouth to questioned this before he was cut off by Vincent.

"She agreed to assist us for the final battle by reviving fallen soldiers on the brink of death. I have been delegated to transport them between the field hospital and her temple because of my incredible luck," he shot a small, weary, half grin at the conscious one of the pair before facing forward again. "It seems as though I'm some sort of monster repellent."

It had only then struck Darius that they had in fact not encountered a single monster on the way. The soft harsh rattles next to his ear made him very grateful for the hylian's incredible ability.

A short, and surprisingly uneventful, treck found them at the entrance of the Great Fairy's temple. As they entered the cistern-like room a high pitched laugh echoed off the walls as the Great Fairy revealed herself.

"Back so soon, my you hylians sure are busy out there." She purred. However, upon seeing whom it was that they were carrying here jovial attitude quickly fell.

"My, my, this is quite the predicament," she forlornly stated as they placed the broken body of the Dragon Knight before her.

Head snapping forward, Darius exclaimed alarmingly, "Wait, what do you mean! Can't you help him?"

Leaning closer to the hybrid, the magical deity hovered a finger over his forehead. "Our magic are incompatible, to try to heal him might create more consequences than solutions." She sharply faced the kneeling goron, "however, I understand that you will not take 'no' for an answer and so I shall ask you this. Are you prepared to put him in more pain in order to heal him?

"Are you prepared to accept if I should fail?"

Struck, the goron hesitated a moment until a quiet yet reserved voice broke out,

"I am."

The chief had momentarily forgotten about the troop that had led them there. It seemed his response was sufficient for the Great Fairy as she dropped her suspended digit.

A harsh gasp followed by choking splutters broke the silence. The hybrid's face showed a foreign emotion, pure fear and panic as he tried to breathe and failed. Cupping his head in her immense hand the fairy queen attempted to sooth the distressed dragon, "Shhh. Follow my lead." She then began to exaggeratedly breathe shallowly and slowly, watching as Volga slowly began to breathe with her. Despite being able to finally intake oxygen he still looked panicked and confused. The last thing he remembered was pain. In fact he can still feel it. Slowly returning to him as he became more aware-

"Volga focus on me!"

Startled he did just that.

"Yes, that's it listen to my voice. Let it wash over you like a gentle breeze." She cooed. Once it looked like she had his undivided attention she then explained, "You're dying. Ganon had done irreparable damage to your body and the hylian healers have sent you to me. I need you to hold back your magic as much as possible. Do you understand?" An imperceivable nod. "Very well then. I apologize for this beforehand." She then closed the space between them. A blinding light-pinkish glow began to emanate around the two figures before just as quickly dying down. When the two witnesses were able to see once more the Great Fairy was back in her normal stance above her pool.

Volga on the other hand was still supine. And very still.

Fearing the worst Darius placed two fingers at the prone figure's neck. When he felt a thready, but steady, pulse he sighed in relief. He heard an echo next to him. The brunette then questioned, "Why is he still unconscious? The others were able to walk after you healed them."

"That's because I didn't heal him completely." The colossal fairy elaborated, "Even with him holding his magic at bay I was only able to heal the most grievous injuries. He will still need medical attention." Her face soften, "He will survive, as long as he is well taken care of." With that the Great Fairy bid her farewell and disappeared

Left alone now the two prepared their departure. Darius folded the dragon in his wings once more, pleased to find that they no longer seem fractured, and gently placed him on his shoulder once more. Being careful to not jar the cracked gem.

And walked back to the field hospital.

* * *

A/N: Whoops sorry about that, got a mad case of writers block. Anyway here it is the last chapter for this mini arc! He lives!(obvs) This is how I shove it to canon and let him live. Honestly I found it bull that the game killed him off so easily with barely any character development. I mean the villain arc starts off with him a) not wanting to join Cia's forces, repeatedly at that b) actually caring about his troops' well being and c) THEY WERE LIVING PEACEFULLY WITH THE GORONS! Like, what! I need to know how that happened! What were the circumstances that allowed these two factions that were basically _at each other's throats_ in the previous games to be amicable enough to actually **_LIVE TOGETHER!_**

Sorry for that mini rant I just needed to get that out of my system. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

* * *

 _Up next: Our usual scheduled shenanigans_.


	22. Chapter V

_Thank you for the fav SquidbaggerOfWoomyAndNgyesness_

* * *

Chapter 22: Voe

The sun scorched the arid land below. Its unforgiving rays kissed the dunes and the people who inhabited them. Bleaching one and darkening the other. This does not bother the denizens of the desert, in fact they thrive in it. Building bazaars and towns in oases. Eventually leading to a kingdom and palace. All entirely lead by women. The Gerudo were an ancient race, molded by the harshness of their home, and built to withstand anything.

Hylians on the other hand have to be absolutely mental to travel that far into the desert. Which was what Vincent thought as he tried to keep cool in one of the outer oasis bazaars. Although everyone was free to travel the desert, Gerudo town was very strict on their no man policy. And so he had to wait elsewhere for their informant. But by Din it was hot. Even in the shade it was still sweltering, that informant better arrive soon or he might just turn into a puddle in this heat. Now that he thought about it, whom, did they send here. There was no way a hylian can withstand this place for an hour, let alone a week.

As the troop pondered this someone came into his view. And his jaw dropped. A gorgeous gerudo woman had arrived with two servants. She was decked out in all sorts of finery; circlet, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, you name it. She wore an elegant attire that blended perfectly with armor, with the exception of a sheer veil over the upper half of her face hiding minute details. Her body was toned and athletic, as is the case with the Gerudo, but somehow it seemed a bit more so than usual. Basically she was the prime example of a Gerudo elite. Now Vincent can see why so many would flock here, if to just be able to even have chance at glancing at one of these beauties.

Distracted he didn't realize that the woman was headed in his direction until she was practically in his face. All logic flew out of the window as he attempted to speak. All that came out was a high pitched squeak of "I'M MARRIED!" He remembered a tradition of the Gerudo was to go out and find men to marry or mate with. So he said what he thought was important at the time. Unfortunately he read the situation wrong as the gerudo stopped in her tracks and burst out laughing. A deep belly laugh that was bordering on hysterical.

Red faced from not just the heat anymore, Vincent slowly came the realization that this woman was most likely the informant he had to meet with. And that her laugh was starting to sound suspiciously familiar. Very familiar. Embarrassment turned to horror as he realized the laugh was the exact same laugh he had heard before if somewhat huskier now. He had to ask, because it was just impossible for it to be him, but just in case it was him. "Volga?!" He managed to squeak out. Goddesses he was going to turn into a mouse with all the squeaking he did.

Yet to his further mortification the woman managed to nod amidst "her" giddy fit.

"Wha- how- I mean- wha?!" Vincent spluttered. He was thoroughly confused and horrified at the knowledge that he was checking his friend out. He needed answers dindammit.

"I *wheeze* I was, oh man you should've seen your face. I was ch-ch-chosen t-t-to- I can't do this. Lana! Oh goddesses," she turned around to control her mirth as one of the "servants" walked forward. How the hell did he not notice she had blue hair. Oh, she didn't have blue hair, it was black now. Looking at the now raven sorceress he silently pleaded for her to explain what was going on.

Despite her own giggles she managed to explain the, quite frankly hilarious, situation. Apparently the princess had held a secret audience with one of the gerudo guards. She, Kara, had explained that they feared there was an interloper among their ranks but had no way of discreetly weeding them out as they all know each other. So she proposed to the princess that she offer someone to "tour" the palace and listen to the walls. But they also had to be well trained, otherwise they will not gain any respect. And a woman for, obvious reasons. Of course they will try to make the lucky female appear as gerudo as possible but there were a few problems with that. One being that naturally occurring redheads among Hylians was quite rare, especially in castletown and the area around it where most of their female soldier are from. Two, no Hylian woman was as tall as a gerudo, it was just too tall even with heels. And Impa could not go as she would stick out and she needed to be at the princess' side at all times in case of an attack.

The dilemma was resolved when one lost, red headed, 7 foot, knight barged in by accident looking for a different conference room he was suppose to be at. With a bit of magic and a wardrobe change he became Visalia, an ex guardswoman who was honorably discharged due to a grievous injury. She then traveled around Hyrule gaining an enormous amount of wealth due to the fact that she had found a vein of precious gems in Death Mountain. Feeling homesick she returned to see how much had changed in the palace and requested a tour of it and to stay for a week.

The rest, as they say, is history. She was well received, told all of the gossip, discreetly found the mole, and was to be escorted home, end of story.

"But what are you two doing here?" Vincent queried. Cia had revealed herself as the second, now blonde, "servant" while Lana explained the events leading up to the encounter.

"Oh, that's simple. We're Visalia's handmaidens to help her out with her 'grievous injury.'"

" The spell we used to turn him into a woman actually needs to be constantly redone so this was the least suspicious way we could do it." Cia cut in.

"Aaaannd you were ok with all this?" He turned towards the bespeckled knight.

"Of course. Why, should I not be?" The genuine look of confusion was what really got to Vincent. Of course the dragon knight wouldn't have a problem with this, his whole family was like this. How could he expect anything less.

"No, you shouldn't have any logical reason to not be ok with this," the troop then slyly queried, " Sooooo, what's it like?"

Knowing exactly what he meant the hybrid merely stated, "Eh, different. Not bad but not really my thing."

"Really, why?"

"My center of gravity has really shifted and I need to be more careful when I walk in tight spaces. And believe or not I actually can't fit in most places I used to be able to."

"Yeah. Big, busty, and hippy couldn't fit between two walls!" Cia guffawed.

"They were too close together!"

"Oh! Don't forget the hidden crawl space under the palace!" Lana squealed.

"You said you wouldn't tell anyone about that!" Volga shrieked. "Whatever, lets go to the inn and change me back. Kara had better hold up her end of the deal." Swishing around he sashayed off in the direction of an inconspicuous building to the left, jewelry swaying perfectly with the movement.

"...so, how long did he practice doing that?"

"Two days."

* * *

A/N: When I got to Gerudo Town in BoTW I made the joke that Volga could easily be a gerudo based on the guard's description: Tall, red hair, and abs. Of course I had to write this chapter.

Regarding Volga's lack of reaction to being a woman I realized I kinda created a perfect society for quite a few marginalized groups. The Reptilian Clan can virtually be anything they want to, there are no secondary sex characteristics and nobody really cares about how they identify themselves since they're mostly a militant group so if they can fight then it doesn't matter. Females can still lay eggs regardless if they had mated with a male or not and it's all done in secret so nothing is actually revealed. And everyone's adopted so there's no "oh but he's the father/she's the mother" backstab reveal. -\\_(ツ)_/- Of course he wouldn't find anything wrong with being a woman for a few days.

* * *

 _Up Next: And they call it puppy love._


	23. Chapter W

Chapter 23: Wammul

* * *

"Remind me why we're here again," groused a tall blonde as he pulled at the uncomfortable garment surrounding his neck. His much shorter raven haired companion merely glanced at him in silence. "I know! But this is ridiculous, why do we have to wear disguises! No one here knows who we are!" Once again silence was his response. "I know you're doing the face, stop that. Let's just get what we came for and go already. All of these clothes are suffocating." He stated as he tugged at his collar once more.

The duo found themselves in a nearby region outside of Hyrule's boundaries. The bustling town's marketplace was full of tantalizing smells and echoes of vendors selling their wares. It was nowhere near the level of Castle Town's commercial area's usual hustle and bustle but it was enough to give the disguised blonde a headache. It was amidst the din that he heard a peculiar sound from afar. Recognizing what the sound was, he silently crept off in search of the source.

Meanwhile, the shorter of the two kept on walking. Oblivious of the fact that his partner just ran off. That is until he reached the, quite frankly, scary decrepit building they were suppose to go to. It wasn't particularly large by any standard, it was actually quite modest in size, but it was secluded from the rest of the town and surrounded by a wooded area. Feeling a bit anxious he turned around to a blank space where his partner _should_ have been. Alarmed, the young man began to frantically turn in all directions to see if he could spot his wayward companion.

That is until he heard the loudest bark in his life and jumped three feet into the air.

"Link, look, I found a puppy." Whispered his, now found, partner.

Although why he whispered was anybody's guess as the "puppy's" bark was most likely heard back in Hyrule.

Actually, now that Link had a good look at it, he's pretty certain the "puppy" isn't actually a "puppy". The thing was _HUGE_ , brown, and puffy, it sort looked like a bear cub. It probably was a bear cub. Volga isn't exactly an expert on what constitutes as a domestic Hylian pet. Especially when most animals look much smaller when he holds them. Like a bear cub.

Sensing Link's discomfort the dragon adds, " He doesn't bite and he's really soft. Pet him." He thrusted the cub-like mammal towards Link. The hero took a step back in alarm. Then stopped and leaned over to take a closer look at the oblivious creature. Its eyes were covered with fur and its snout was the wrong shape to be a bear cub. It had its tongue hanging out and panting in a similar fashion as a dog. The final nail in the coffin for his bear cub theory was the slobbery lick to his face and the excited bark that followed.

"Hey, look, he likes you."

Link immediately shot him a dirty look.

"What?"

The covert hero then gestured to the door, reminding the, uncharacteristically chipper, dragon knight of their original mission. Go inside the abandoned archive building in northwest Fumiya, locate the hidden room within, and recover a lost Hyrulean document. Which is easier said than done when considering that by a small technicality Hyrule was still at war with the kingdom the town was in, despite the fact that no action was actually taken. And the rumors about the abandoned archival building, that it is haunted by the poor souls who couldn't escape the devastating blaze that nearly destroyed the building, leaving it in its current sorry state.

The disguised dragon faced the building and nonchalantly replied,

"Oh. Well, we can just take Nau with us,

"And he can chase away any ' _ghosts_ ' that pop up." He side-eyed the very quiet hero, "Or you know the very real people that _might_ be squatting in there."

Unamused, Link walked ahead and attempted to open the door.

That promptly broke off into slivers of splinters at the slight contact.

"That's promising," the dragon quipped as he walked in, dog in tow.

The hero quickly followed, not wanting to be left alone again.

Silence echoed throughout the darkened inside, almost as though warning those who dare enter to leave immediately. It was promptly ignored by an energetic pup dashing about covered in cobwebs. The more human interlopers were a bit more cautious in their endeavor, watching out for weak flooring and unstable structures. As they ventured deeper inside the feeling of being watched grew stronger. It wasn't until he reached a spacious room that Link once again realized that he was left alone. _Again_. Casting his eyes and ears about he trepidatiously lifted his lantern. The low auburn lighting accentuated the antiquity of the building making it even more eerie and caused the rotted furniture to cast shadows that seemed to jump out at him. He may have the Triforce of Courage but unresting spirits trapped in the mortal plane are very different from a reincarnating soul manifesting in a physical form. For one, one can be struck down with a legendary sword, the other not so much. Also he had to return said sword to its resting pedestal for the next hero. So even _if_ the sword could have been useful against ghosts he no longer had it.

A loud clatter from behind the solitary hero echoed throughout the room. Magical sword or not Link brandished his weapon before him and assumed a combat stance. Perhaps it was a squatter like Volga had mentioned, it doesn't have to be a ghost. Then again if it was a squatter wouldn't Volga had warned him, or the stray he found. He tightened his hold on the grip as another echo resonated to his left. The sound of creaking floorboards grew closer and closer. Each step increasing in volume and velocity until suddenly, it just stopped. Controlling his breathing that he didn't realize had even sped up in the first place, Link stayed very quiet in order to hear where this invader would be coming from.

"Hey-"

Link quickly swiped at the hand on his shoulder.

"Woah! Hey, watch where you swing that thing!" The dragon knight snapped, clutching his now bleeding arm. "You have got to stop acting so childish. There are no such things as ghosts." Grabbing the back of the hero's outfit, he lifted him off his feet and tucked him under his armpit. "Now, Nau found a squatter who knows how to get into the secret room. She's agreed to show us where it is and how to get in. Let's go." The dragon then walked of with the wayward hero in tow.

Looking back the hero felt quite ridiculous. Not only did he let his superstitions get the best of him he also managed to injure, although temporarily, his ally. Had it been anyone else the consequences of his actions wouldn't have just been a small reprimand and a shrug. From now on Link would just steel his nerves against anymore superstitions and just treat any noise as he would to any normal situation. After all like Volga said ghosts don't exists.

Link was broken out of his reverie by distant barking. As they neared a somewhat less forsaken room the barks got louder. Along with an echoing laugh. Something about the laugh didn't feel right but the hero decided to just let it slide. He didn't want a repeat of what just happened.

Then they turned the corner and entered the room and all of his previous logic just flew out the window and buried itself.

The room was actually pretty normal. At least normal for an abandoned building. There was a small window on one of the walls, a few desks scattered about with some accompanying chairs, and yellowing papers strewn around. Nau was disturbing a lot of the dust that had settled in the room, causing a billowing cloud to emerge. And in the midst of it all, nothing.

There was no one else in there. And yet it looked as if the dog was _playing_ with someone.

"Ah, I see Nau warmed up to you, Helga." The dragon knight observed. He dropped the hero as the dog reacted to seeing him once more. He then raised his head and spoke once more to thin air. "I don't actually know I found him in the street." A pause. "Well after we get what we're looking for I'll find out."

"Now then, can you direct us to the room. My partner and I will be right behind you."

Volga made to follow her but aborted the action when he realized that Link hasn't moved from the spot he was dropped. Realizing that the hero wasn't going to move anytime soon, he rolled his eyes and unceremoniously picked him up once again.

The unusual platoon made their way towards the hidden room. They came across an innocuous back room, that is until the dragon stood still and then dropped the hero. Again. He walked toward a bookshelf and pushed. A bit too hard it turned out as the furniture slid across the floor and impacted the adjacent wall with enough force to shatter upon impact. However, the hybrid paid no mind to it and tore open the door that had laid hidden behind it.

Inside, the room was oddly enough spacious, if a bit cluttered. As if someone had gone and tried to take out as many documents as possible yet dropping many on the way out.

Toeing a few rolls and books out of the way from the entrance the dragon exclaimed over his shoulder, "Ok, here's where you come in hero. Get over here and look for the document. I don't think there's that many to go through."

Slowly the shaken hero stood and walked over to the sizable pile of records. Honestly he's going to have a small chat about what constitutes as "not a lot" to the knight. There were so many papers strewn about he didn't know where to start. But then again it was helping him not think about the gh-spirit that was surprisingly helping them out. He picked up and scanned sheet by sheet of what was on the floor and tables, looking for anything that even resembled Hylian script. It took a while, a long while, until he finally gestured in triumph and shook the paper at the nearly dozing dragon knight startling him alert once more. Link observed as Volga turned around, seeming as though he was searching for something.

"When did Helga leave," he queried, "and Nau for that matter."

The hero didn't notice that the dog had in fact gone missing. Obviously he didn't notice the spirit leaving.

"Oh well. It's not like I could have kept him."

Link heard the slight undertone of disappointment and gave the dragon a light pat on his arm.

As the misfit pair exited the worn building, one lifting his hand to block the sun that still shone, a bark was heard in the distance. Along with some giggling.

Confused, they headed toward the sound. Then stopped a few feet from their destination as a small voice piped out, "Tau! You bad doggy! What are you doing here?" Followed by more giggling. "Your lucky the nice lady helped me find you. Hey, where did she go? Wait for me Tau! Where are you going?" Her voice faded as she ran back to the town.

The pair glanced at each other and shrugged. It seemed Nau, or rather Tau, had been reunited with his original owner. It was a cute spectacle to observe but they had a mission to complete. So with the newly rediscovered peace treaty in tow they headed off towards Hyrule and hopefully bring peace to the two, technical, warring states.

* * *

A/N: Whoa it's been a little over 2 months since my last update. It was caused by 1)school, 2)work, and 3)the dreaded writer's block. I'm not too happy with the last few paragraphs but oh well.


	24. Chapter X

_Thanks for the favorite Teru Kisuke._

* * *

Chapter 24: Xenial, Xenelasia

* * *

 _"No. Now leave."_

The dark witch honestly wasn't expecting anything less from the creature that stood before her. She had observed it and its ilk for some time as she plotted her revenge against that petulant golden waif of a princess. Cia knew that the Dragon Knight would not come willingly of course but causing a bit of grief towards the recluse was too good of an opportunity to pass up. She had seen how vehemently the _guardian_ (pathetic) kept its near forceful isolation of its clan from the outside world. None of the creatures in the caves knew of their original purpose. Which was to serve the dark power that had freed her from her imprisonment of isolation and strive for what truly belonged to her. The heart of the hero.

But if she was to accomplish this goal she needed an army. Not just any army but the army of the Dark King of old. Which unfortunately had pledged its allegiance to the bastard general in front of her through years of reeducation and freedom from any outside influences that might remind them of their place.

Well Cia wasn't about to let a filthy mutt or centuries of isolation get in her way.

After all she had suffered _eons_ of it.

* * *

 _"What the hell are you doing here?"_

The reformed witch honestly expected a bit of hostility towards her but was surprised to find genuine confusion instead. Although the words were harsh that was just the way the man in front of her spoke.

Honestly Cia didn't actually know why she came back to the beginning of her conquest. Perhaps it was to remind herself of the evil she was capable of and to punish herself by seeing the destruction she had caused firsthand. She couldn't bring herself to even get near the crystal nowadays.

But imagine her shock as she saw not destruction and ruin but rather beauty and splendor. Granted it wasn't back to how it was exactly, construction appeared to still be ongoing, however, there seemed to be a sort of fusion of old and new that just worked so artistically.

Even more surprising were the _humans_ swarming the place.

There were a few human engineers about helping with the layout of the new architecture, comparing notes among the others there. Hylian construction workers mixed with the Gorons and Reptilians were swapping stories and teaching jokes as if it was the norm. Hell there there even a couple of Gerudo setting up shops and selling their wares, completely unbothered by the heat.

Realizing that she hadn't answered Volga's query she looked him right in the eyes and saw that there too was a change. No longer did they hold the emotion that no matter how hard she tried she couldn't put a name to it. If she had to guess she would have called it _mistrust_ or _disappointment_ but even that couldn't describe the hard cold glint in his eyes when she first met him.

No. What she saw was something else. _Hope_? _Peace_? _Pride_? She couldn't name this new bright spark either but what she didn't see was _anger_.

That's when Cia realized that he no longer held her to her past mistakes.

 _"Nothing much just thought I'd visit."_

And if he can forgive her then maybe she can too.

* * *

A/N: Do you know how _**hard**_ it was to find an "x" word that's not xylophone?! Not very actually there are quite a few word words that start with x. Although most of them were names and such I found these two that just fit so perfectly I had to use them both.

Also the release (and purchase) of definitive edition has reawakened my muse. As I was playing it once again with my brother he made a good observation that Cia was just as much a victim in all this too. Not only did the Godesses basically put her in solitary confinement they also practically ordered her to watch the outside world while never being able to experience it. Which gave Ganondorf the opening he needed to take her over but by the time she freed herself she was already too corrupted to turn back to how she was. She was a tragic character and I'm glad she got the redemption she deserved.

Teru Kisuke: I'm soooo happy that you enjoyed my little headcannon that exploded into this monster. I really appreciate your feedback and hope I do this character right too (he's my fav too if that wasn't obvious :P). And actually I was planning on having him interact with the other warriors in this story but it really got away from me. Perhaps I'll do it in another story, this one's about done. Also man that sucks I hope you can either recover or rewrite it, I need more Volga fics to read XD

* * *

 _Up Next: Little monsters._


	25. Chapter Y

Chapter 25: Yare

* * *

By rule of thumb every guardsman has seen a plethora of odd situations. A parade of dog like people marching in, fish literally out of the water, flying pigs, just to mention a few. It came with the job, stuff happens when guarding the gates and royals of Hyrule.

And yet somehow Nathan still managed to be surprised by the scene in front of him.

He, along with a few more guardsman, were appointed to join the party that was accompanying the princess on a business trip to the Eldin Caves. She was to discuss a new trading partnership with the Reptilian Clan. Although the extra protection wasn't necessarily needed, it was still mandatory and so Nathan had tagged along on this new venture.

It was here that he witnessed the Dragon Knight that the troops who returned from the Dimensional Wars spoke so highly of. The man fit every description told of him: tall, muscular, and intimidating to behold.

Well maybe not that last one, he's not sure how intimidating anyone can be with a simple braid and what looked to pass as, _business casual_ , clothing. Perhaps in battle he truly is terrifying. But here he just looks so, dare he say, _friendly_.

He observed the knight's interaction with the royal. It looked formal to the outside viewer but to one who had spent a bit more time with the princess can tell that this meeting was anything but that. The two were very relaxed in posture, facial expressions actually showing, and he can see that they weren't even cautious about their surroundings. Just completely trusting that the other party wouldn't even _think_ about harming the other. It even put him at ease.

Which probably caused the next few moments.

As Nathan "guarded" the entrance of the cave, along with the Lizalfos that was posted there too, he heard a small scrabbling sound. Pausing his conversation with Iro he looked around for the source of the scrabbling. He felt a clawed tap on the shoulder and was directed to look up. There slithering across the roof of the cave was a small figure, if he had to guess he'd say it was most likely a dinolfos.

Before he could do anything two things happened simultaneously. Iro pulled his arm, startling him from doing anything, and the small figure gave into the pull of gravity.

In a move that seemed long sufferingly practiced, the dragon knight fluidly twisted as he stood and spread his arms slightly open with his hands in a loose grip position.

The small figure landed perfectly in his awaiting grasp.

Just when Nathan thought his jaw couldn't go any further he witnessed a facial expression he couldn't quite pin down flash across the dragon's face. It looked like a mixture of pride, fondness, and maybe a bit of exasperation. That's when he noticed that yes it was in fact a small dinolfos and that bit of annoyance in the expression wasn't imagined as the dragon turned around to face the princess with an apology. It was surreal to see such a monstrous man slightly flushed, holding a small squirming child, all the while trying to maintain his masked composure. Apparently he wasn't the only one who was having a hard time maintaining their composure as the princess appeared to be holding back some rather undignified laughter of her own.

She must have said something about the child being allowed to stay as the dragon quickly held the youngling in front of him with a stern look and gave what could only be a command to behave as he sat down again. Only this time with the juvenile dinolfos sitting comfortably on his lap.

And on the meeting went as if nothing happened.

If only it stayed that way.

As time passed more little ones appeared. They settled around the dragon at first but some of them braved the foreign princess and sat close by. One even ventured to sit directly to her right, seemingly gloating at the others. A single look dropped it down a peg.

As Nathan continued to observe this oddly domestic scene he couldn't help but feel as though he were intruding in on something highly personal. So when one of the little aefros decided it had a long day and feel asleep on the ever busy guardian, and the arm holding it tightened just slightly, he turned around and continued his conversation with Iro.

Eventually the cave grew silent but nobody was exiting. Concerned, the two guards peeked inside and were greeted by a comical sight. Two outstanding leaders, fearsome by their own right, grounded to floor by a lounge of juveniles who decided to nap on the unsuspecting adults

* * *

A/N: I LIIIIIVE! Sorry for the long hiatus but I realized that it's been almost a year since I started this story and by golly I'm gonna finish it before then. Or at least on the day. Most of Chapter Z is written up so there shouldn't be too much of a wait. Also I made a poll for what to do after I'm done with this, I got a lot of ideas but no direction so it would be great to hear a bit of your input of what you guys want.

Anywho, enough of that. Onward with the chapter notes.

So this ended up being rewritten about two times. It was the same exact concept but a completely different tone and I'm glad I changed it. The basis of the chapter was to kinda spotlight Volga's caring nature. It was show throughout the game in small bits but the guy really cared about the people under his command. I think a bit more than the other warriors considering he would tell people he's "rescued" to save their strength and rest. I'm pretty sure if given the option he would outright mad dash the injured party straight out of the battlefield and into a field hospital, demanding they stay put until their healed. Considering that I figured why not make him a sort of protective parental figure to the little ones he would care for the most. He would try his best to make sure that they're lives wouldn't be miserable and too dangerous for them, that they'll feel safe wherever they go. I actually had him adopt three of them in the AU. They actually made a cameo in the story I'll let you guys figure it out, it's pretty obvious who they are.

* * *

 _Up Next: The early bird get to be fried!_


	26. Chapter Z

_Haha! I made it before the one year mark! Thank you all who have journeyed with me on my first fanfic, it was great guys...is what I would be saying if this was the end! Don't forget to read the author's note!_

* * *

Chapter 26: Zeitgeber

* * *

A youth with bright red eyes and odd garbs watched as the human and goron camps rose to greet the morning sun. The little streaks that managed to get through the thick canopy of leaves gently waking them to get started with the soon to be normal morning rituals. Packing up the camp, rerolling bedrolls, getting breakfast started, and _other_ personal things that needed to be taken care of in the woods. As Sheik watched the two groups leisurely get their day started they also watched the last of their merry little band awakening.

Who were not quite as _graceful_ getting up.

One by one the reptilians awoke with a short hiss followed by much groaning and stumbling as they began to do their own morning rituals. Which wasn't all that much different except for a few little things, such as the lack of bedrolls. It appeared as though they were unused to the sun waking them as the light seemed to bother them greatly, if the hands over their eyes were to be any indication. They all still looked to be a bit groggy what with all the unhappy faces and dragging feet. However, not all of them awoke at the sun's morning kiss. There were still a few forms on the ground, the Dragon Knight included. Sheik watched as conscious ones went around to shake or prod the supine ones. They also noticed that there was a considerable amount of distance between those prodding and the sleeping targets. That was immediately proven necessary when the unhappy targets all took a swipe or kick at their unknown assailant. It was a bit amusing how these ferocious fighters can act a bit childish at times.

What was not amusing were the stares the skeikah knew were being directed at the cold blooded soldiers. Sheik had been in the caves with the lizards, aiding them in preparing to reclaim their home. The cave dwellers never had to bother with the sun to wake them as the humans have. They relied on some sort internal instinct to awaken them instead. To see the others gawk at them as though they were some sort of sideshow attraction was disrespectful to these proud warriors.

Not wanting this to continue Sheik decided to assist the reptilians in their morning chores. They too went around prodding the still slumbering lizards awake. Hoping that at least if the others saw a human casually assisting the other species they wouldn't think so much about how different they are. It was a whimsical concept but Sheik wasn't going to let that put them down.

The last one still slumbering was the Dragon Knight. As the sheikah approached him, a slow groan issued out, "Go 'way."

Surprised, the ninja blurted, "You're awake."

Rolling over on his back he groggily replied, "Been 'wake. Stupid human side." As he sat up he let out a big yawn. "What time is it?"

"It's late morning most of us have already finished our morning chores. We'll be ready to move out in half an hour. What do mean human side?"

"That's not important, I have an army to wrangle!" Volga swayed as he stood up too fast and ran off towards his army, barking out orders. Sheik watched as the lizard army scrambled about getting prepared to move out with the others. It left a sour note having not been answered but the sheikah understood. The relationship between the human and reptilian armies was still too new, it would take time before either felt comfortable enough to even share the same space.

Sheik watched as a dinolfos almost choked on his food when the dragon ordered him to hurry up.

Hopefully they'll at least get used to the routine.

* * *

A/N: I have no idea what's wrong with me I redid not just the concept but the word entirely. I had it all planned out and everything but then my brain was like, "nope choose a different word," so here we are. Honestly, I actually like this one better than the old one.

And yes I purposefully used they/them pronouns for Sheik since I know there are still debates about whether they're a boy or girl (I use she since she's just Zelda in disguise but whatevs) and I don't want no drama. This is a drama free zone! Anyway _Sheik_ and the rest of the army aren't aware that Volga is half-human yet. It's something that he won't divulge in case it can be used against him and other reasons that might become its own multific in the future so I won't be saying much of it.

That being said I do have one more chapter before I close this so keep a look out.

* * *

 _Up Next: The plot twist!_


	27. Bonus: Chapter A

Chapter 27: Accessibility

* * *

It was dark.

But then again it was always dark.

Except that this dark was suppose to be his sleeping dark but there was something poking him and now he's transitioning to his alert dark. He was very annoyed about that. Didn't these humans know that dragons need at least ten hours of sleep. Well at least a half dragon, Volga was sure that a full dragon slept for much longer. Beside the point, there was _someone_ poking him.

He was sure it was a someone because the little pressure coming from the finger used to poke him was too periodic and precise to be a rock or twig.

Deciding that he was not going to tolerate this much longer he did the first thing that came to mind. The second the pressure returned to his forehead he rapidly lifted his face just enough to…

 _CHOMP_!

A muffled shriek and a twitching finger were his responses. He wasn't a monster, he didn't actually bite the finger off. Just enough to hold it hostage to punish whoever dared awaken him from his sleep.

"W'a 'oo eu waang'!?'' The finger was now frantically spasming with the sudden height change. Figuring that the body it belonged to was probably significantly shorter than him and that he might actually rip off the finger by accident, the hybrid released his hold on it.

"Blegh, that's so salty. What do you want?" He huffed out.

…..

…

…

" _Helloo_?" The dragon dwalled out.

….

…

Shrugging, Volga moved to lay down again. Guessing that whoever woke him had been frightened by the prospect of losing digits. He didn't even get fully supine before the stupid pressure was attacking him once again. This time it was a hand tapping his shoulder insistently.

" _For Hylia's sake would you stop that and just_ tell _me what you want_!?" He seethed.

Suddenly his hand was pulled forward, almost dropping him with the momentum. Before he could snatch it back he felt something brush over the palm. It was moving in the same pattern over and over again. It took him a few moments to realize it was a letter, repeated over and over.

"I?"

It stopped.

Then started again this time with a swift swipe and a new letter.

"I 'k'?"

He caught on to the method. Luckily he had a bit of experience with this type of communication. The process repeated until it formed a small two word sentence.

" _I know_? Know wha-?" It dawned on the knight then. Whoever this was knew his secret. Closing his eyes and directing a small bit of his magic toward them he focused on the form in front of him. An ethereal figure appeared within his sights. Short, toned, and something glowed on his back. The only person who had a glowing back was…

"Link?"

Two taps.

"I can kinda see you now you know."

Cocked head.

"It's magic. I can sort of see but it's more like a - How the hell did you find out?!"

His palm was grabbed again.

"You can talk now. I'm certain everyone is still sleeping."

Head shake. Pointing at throat.

"What's wrong with your throat?"

Hand gesture to throat.

"I still don't understa- Ohh, you're mute."

Nodding.

Then odd hand gestures. Flying about seemingly in random but purposeful. It was fascinating to watch but completely indecipherable. He told Link as such and the movements stopped. His head was slightly turned downward and Volga can only imagine that there was a thoughtful look on the hero's face. Then it sprang up and the dragon's palm was once more stolen again. Link placed it face up on his leg then started his gestures again. This time he did one at a time and then "wrote" the word on his palm. Once it was translated the Dragon Knight nearly woke the entire camp after a small slip of hysterics. Losing concentration he couldn't "see" the hero anymore but he was very certain he was expressing a concerned and confused manner. After (almost) winning the battle to compose himself he found his voice somewhat steady.

"Sorry, sorry. It's just that, well, it's a bit funny how you were the only one to notice amid an entire army of well seasoned soldiers. Goddesses, I was expecting _Impa_ to notice first." He then sobered after the implications behind his discovery, "Then again it just shows how devastating this war truly is. I can usually avoid all the bodies but this time…"

A hand gripped his arm.

Instinctively he faced down toward where the appendage would be. After a moment's consideration he made a decision.

"Link…"

A rustle of fabric.

"Listen to my words carefully."

Two taps.

"You musn't reveal this to anyone. My condition is no one's concern and I will divulge what I want, when I want. Unless I am absolutely certain it will hinder a mission I will not bring it up and neither will you. I want you to pretend as if you never found out."

"Can you please do that."

….

Two taps.

"Thank you. That being said, do you want to know how it works?"

Excited tapping.

Chuckling, he closed his eyes once more and felt the magic coursing through unseeing eyes. Knowing they'd be glowing an iridescent green when he opened them again.

* * *

A/N: And with that this story truly comes to a close. I had headcannoned him as blind from the very beginning in this AU. I'm not sure how many of you had caught on to it or if this really is a plot twist to many of you. I just hope that this won't be taken offensively or that I had done this correctly. I didn't want to write a "blind" character I wanted to write a character who has many other defining features and personalities that just happens to blind. Which is why I waited till the end of the story to reveal it.

Anyway I'm not gonna end the story like that and not explain how the magic works. It's sort of a mix of a lot of media I've seen and played. In this AU dragons are naturally adept to healing magic, so much so that it's literally mixed with their blood. Being a half dragon Volga has access to this magic and more so since humans can grow and learn other magics. At the same time it won't "heal" congenital defects* and he was born blind (my reasoning behind that will be explained in a different story). However, he can concentrate the magic enough that a _sense_ of sight can be achieved. The way that works is very similar to Wolf Link's sense sight in that the person would appear almost ghost-like. With the exception that it's only the body with no actual facial features, just the basic shape of the face and the nose. Hair and clothes don't get to be seen because of the next thing. He can only see living things such as people animals and plants. He can't see small lifeforms though, such as bugs or shoots of plants. So Agitha seemed kinda kooky to him at first.

Now before anything gets said about how if he can use this then he really isn't blind, there are drawbacks. It uses a _lot_ of magic, so much so that it's basically inefficient to use all the time. It also requires a great deal of concentration and in the heat of battle there's too much going on to actually be able to use this. Not to mention that it's pretty much kinda useless for anything other than getting a _very_ basic outline of what someone looks like. He only uses this when meeting new people for a few days then just relies on his other senses and connection to the person to figure out who's with him at any given moment. There's a lot more to this but this author's note is already too long perhaps I'll write a story based around how this works.

*I really don't like the word defect it seems too wrong of a word to use so if anyone can think of a better word for that please let me know so I can it.

Also please don't forget to vote on my poll on what should I do next.

Love you guys, please don't forget to review. Bye!


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